Columbia  (Hnitiersfttp 

THE  LIBRARIES 


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EKC-RAyeb>QR  THE  ECLECTIC  BT  EEKISE  ^  GUiS.H  : 


MIN^STER   TO    ENGLAND 


SKETCHES 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN, 


NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


REPRESEVTATmES    OF   MODERN   PROGRESS,  OF   THE   PRESS,  TUB 
PULPIT,    THE    BENCH,    THE    BAR,    THE    ARMY   AND  NAVY, 
OF  LEGISLATION,  INVENTION,  AND  THE  GREAT  IN- 
DUSTRIAL INTERESTS  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 


WITH    PORTRAITS    ON    STEEL. 


EDITED   BY 

AUGUSTUS    C.    ROGERS. 


THIKD  EDITION. 


NEW    YORK: 

ATLANTIC  PUBLISHING  CO.MPANY. 

1874. 


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A> 


\  T 


^  a^-^ 

t^'^^ 
a 


TO   MY   FATHER, 

Dr.    CUERAN    ROGERS, 

OF 
THO>[ASTON,    fJICORGIA, 

THE  15EST  AND  NOBLEST  OP  MEN, 

THIS  VOLUME   IS   DEDICATED 
AS   A 

TRIBUTE  OP  LOVE  AND  ORATITUDE, 

BY 

AUGUSTUS  CURRAN  ROGERS. 


174378 


PREFACE. 


It  has  been  our  purpose,  in  this  work,  to  assemble  a  number 
of  Biographies,  drawn  from  a  well-defined  class  of  public  reputa- 
tion in  our  country.  We  have  proposed  to  publish  some 
account  of  the  lives  of  Representative  Men — men  prominent  in 
forwarding  the  development  of  the  resources  of  the  country — 
men  of  our  country  and  our  times,  who,  by  their  force  of  char- 
acter, or  a  particular  genius,  have  achieved  those  remarkable  and 
brilliant  successes  illustrative  of  American  triumphs  in  public 
and  private  life,  in  business  enterprise,  and  the  useful  arts  ; 
national  in  their  importance,  and  contributing  largely  to  the 
public  fund  of  industry  and  usefulness.  In  our  limited  space, 
we  lay  no  claim  to  comprehensiveness  or  perfection  :  we  have 
simply  chosen  a  number  of  good  names  determined  by  the  above- 
mentioned  tests,  and  have  thus  been  able  to  constitute  a  definite 
group  of  character. 

In  the  compilation  of  the  work,  we  have  not  been  influ- 
enced by  any  personal  or  party  feeling.  We  have  felt,  that,  to  yield 
to  such  motives,  would  be  to  defeat  the  very  object  of  our  enter- 
prise. That  object  has  been  to  present  in  a  single  volume,  whose 
character  shall  be  truly  national,  the  life-stories  of  prominent  rep- 
resentatives of  the  arts,  sciences,  professions,  religious  denomina- 
tions, political  parties,  &c. 

The  sketches  have  been  prepared,  in  most  cases,  with  the 
sanction  of  the  subjects  ;  and,  where  this  has  been  impracticable, 
the  judgment  and  correction  of  their  intimate  friends  have  been 


iv  PREFACE. 

sought  and  oblbined.     The  hiographical  notices    may.  tlierefore, 
be   looked  i;pon  as  in  the   highest  degree  faithful  and  accurate 

The  design  has  the  attraction  of  novelty,  and  discovers,  we 
are  persuaded,  a  distinct  and  fruitful  field  in  the  literature  of 
the  day.  In  the  lives  of  those  men  who  have  achieved  the  suc- 
cesses we  have  described,  and  who  illustrate  the  rapid  ascents 
peculiar  to  the  genius  of  America,  there  is  a  valuable  fund  of 
interest  and  instruction.  In  those  early  struggles  in  which  they 
conquered  fortune,  there  is  frequently  much  of  the  dramatic,  and 
in  their  triumphs  is  often  to  be  found  an  interesting  story  of 
daring  adventure  or  of  quiet  heroism. 

But,  even  beyond  the  personal  interest  of  such  narratives, 
we  believe  that  the  work  will  have  a  popular  and  permanent 
value,  and  that  it  will  prove  an  important  addition  to  the  bio- 
graphical literature  of  America. 

The  biographical  accounts  of  our  Representative  Men, 
justly  composed  as  they  have  been,  illustrate  the  peculiar  free- 
dom and  elasticity  of  American  life,  reflect  the  beneficence  of 
our  institutions,  and  afford  to  the  intelligent  student  an  impor- 
tant insight  into  the  habits  of  our  country.  More  than  this,  it 
suo-o-ests  a  lesson  to  our  vouth,  a  guide  to  honorable  and  useful 
distinction,  and  may  serve,  not  a  little,  to  train  the  generous 
ambition  of  those  who  now  struggle  on  the  ladder  of  fortune. 
The  most  eminent  masters  of  mental  culture  have  all  appre- 
ciated and  extolled  the  advantage  of  biography  as  an  instru- 
ment of  education  ;  and  with  their  opinions  concurs  the  experi- 
ence of  all  who  have  given  any  attention  to  the  training  of  the 
young. 

It  is  in  this  broad  and  yet  distinct  view  that  we  have  designed 
our  collection  of  Biographies.  It  is  of  a  class  of  men  who  are 
well  entitled  to  appreciative  memoirs,  who  compose  a  group  of 
fame  that  should  not  be  overlooked  ;  and  we  aspire  that  it  will 
be  a  contribution  to  the  stock  of  American  Biography,  as  use- 
ful as  it  is  unique,  taking  its  place  among  the  permanent  liter- 
ary  records  of  the  country. 


CONTENTS. 


FOLIO. 

Adams,  Charles  Frautis 9 

Alden,  James 37 

Allen,  Etliau 27 

Allen,  John 113 

Alvorcl,  AVilliam 39 

Andrews,  Chnstopher  C 45 

Bamuger,  Kufiis 59 

Beecher,  Heury  Ward 53 

Bigler,  William 63 

Blair,  Fraucis 69 

Blair,  Montgomery 87 

Bonner,  Robert 93 

Brewster,  Frcdericlv  Carroll 101 

Cadwalader,  Georjje 137 

CamochaD,  John  Mnrray 145 

Chase,  Salmon  Portland 149 

Cockrill,  Sterli ng  Robertson 157 

Cogswell,  Alfred  C 127 

Cosad,  John  W 121 

Cumback,  William 165 

De  Peyster,  John  Watts 169 

Dewitt,  Thomas 175 

Dudley,  Thomas  H 179 

English,  William  H 191 

Evans,  Thomas  William 205 

Faulkner,  Charles  James 215 

Foster,  Lafayette  S 541 

Funias,  Robert  W 231 

Gatling,  Richard  Jordan 239 

Gazzam,  Joseph  M 235 

Geary,  John  W 249 

Greeley,  Horace 255 

Hickman,  John 267 


FOLIO, 

Hilliard,  Henry  W 273 

Hunter,  R.  M  T 279 

Jay,  John 287 

Kimball,  Charles  P 311 

Koerner,  Gustavus 307 

Littlejohn,  A.  N 317 

McAllister,  Robert 503 

McCloskey,  John 321 

Miller,  Ezra 327 

Morgan,  Nathan  D 333 

Palmer,  Oliver  H 339 

Parker,  Joel 345 

Parrish,  Joseph 489 

Peck,  John  J 351 

Pennypacker,  Galusha 357 

Pierrepont,  Edwards 367 

Pleasonton,  Alfred 387 

Powell,  James  R 513 

Powers,  Ridgley  C 379 

Randolph,  Theodore  F 393 

Read ,  John  Meredith,  Jr 403 

Roberts,  Charles  H 497 

Roberts,  Walter  B 53 1 

Scott,  Jesui>  Wakemau 413 

Scott,  Thomas  A 419 

Scribner,  Charles  H 539 

Smith,  E.  Delafield 423 

Stei)heus,  Alexander  H 441 

Thomas,  George  H 545 

Vanderbilt,  Cornelius 465 

Vanderpoc),  S.  Oakley 461 

Warren,  Fitz  Heury. 487 


CHARLES    FRANCIS    ADAMS. 


5||%^|^5  '^  IS  remarkable  how  seldom  fjither  and  son  have  ac- 
^^"^1%  1'ii''ec^  distinction  of  the  first  class  in  any  line  of  cm- 
%f '^^  inence.     In  English  histor)-,  one  calls  to  mind  the 
f/\  two  Cecils,  the  two  Pitts,  and  the  two  Foxes.     The  two 
flM^ii"  ^  Bacons,  so  unequal  was  their  importance,  make  scarcely 
S^  an  exception  to  the  rule.  Of  the  two  Shaftesburys,  one  was 
''Ma^  the  other's  grandson.     In  the  uppermost  circle  there  is  no 
positive  instance  of  the  hereditary  prominence  in  question  but  that 
of  Edward  III.  and  his  strenuous  namesake.     In  French  history 
it  is  sought  to  still  less  purpose  ;  while  among  American  states- 
men, since  the  Union  was  established,  there  is  as  yet  but  one  exam- 
ple ;  and  that  example  is  much  the  more  striking  as  having  been 
duplicated  through  two  immediate  successions.  In  the  history  of  our 
diplomatic  service — to  say  nothing  now  of  public  services  and  other 
kinds — there  is  no  name  to  be  i^laced  by  the  side  of  that  which  has 
been  borne  by  the  diplomatists  of  our  three  wars.     Full  biographies 
of  the  first  two  who  have  illustrated  it  have  been  long  in  possession 
of  the  public.     An  attempt  to  sketch  briefly  the  caieer  uf  the  third, 
though  premature  and  incomplete,  is  forbidden  by  no  considerations 
of  delicacy,  connected  as  his  life  has  been  with  the  course  of  public 
events  through  parts  of  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Charles  Francis  Adams  was  born  in  the  year  1S07,  in  Boston, 
where  his  fiither  was  then  residing,  after  being  in  the  public  service 
for  seven  years,  under  appointments  from  President  Washington 
as  Minister  to  the  Hague  and  to  Berlin,  and  for  three  years  as  a 
Senator  of  the  United  States,  which  position  he  still  filled.  In 
August,  1809,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  the  youngest  of  thi-ee 
sons,  of  whom  he  is  now  the  only  survivor,  went  to  St.  Petersburg 
with  his  father,  who  at  that  critical  period  of  our  affairs  had  been 
commissioned  by  Mr.  Madison  as  Minister  to  the  Emperor  Alexan- 
der.    From  Russia,  where  he  remained  five  years,  till  the  capture 

9 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

of  Paris  and  the  abdication  of  Napoleon,  Mr.  Adams  went  to 
Ghent,  to  meet  Mr.  Bayard,  Mr.  Clay,  and  Mr.  Russell,  who  were 
associated  with  him  to  negotiate  with  British  commissioners  a 
treaty  of  peace.  After  its  conclusion  on  the  24th  of  Decembei', 
1814,  Mr.  Adams  was  rejoined  by  Mrs.  Adams  and  their  son  at 
Paris,  whence  in  a  few  months  he  went  over  to  England  as  Minister 
to  that  court. 

At  Ealing,  a  suburb  of  London,  where  Mr.  Adams  took  up  his 
residence,  his  son  first  went  to  an  English  school.  But  it  was 
wisely  thought  that  the  time  was  come  when  he  should  be  getting 
his  education  among  the  young  fellow-countrymen  with  whom  in 
after  years  he  was  to  live  and  act,  and  he  came  home  in  1817,  to  be 
fitted  for  college  at  the  Boston  Latin  School.  At  Cambridge, 
where  he  graduated  in  1825,  the  year  in  which  his  father  became 
President  of  the  United  States,  he  was  the  classmate  of  Judge 
Ames,  of  the  late  Mayor  Chapman,  of  Admiral  Davis,  of  the  sculp- 
tor Horatio  Greenough,  of  Dr.  John  B.  S.  Jackson,  of  the  Eev- 
erends  Dr.  Hedge  and  Dr.  Lothrop,  of  Sears  Walker,  the  astronomer, 
and  of  other  distinguished  men. 

On  leaving  college,  Mr.  Adams  went  to  Washington,  and  there 
studied  law  two  years  under  his  fathei-'s  direction.  He  completed 
his  course  by  another  year  in  the  office  of  Daniel  Webster  in 
Boston,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1828. 

The  first  years  of  Mr.  Adams's  manhood  were  mostly  passed 
with  his  books,  and,  allied  and  educated  as  he  was,  it  was  impossi- 
ble that  his  studies  should  not,  to  a  great  extent,  take  the  direction 
of  political  history  and  science,  and  of  whatever  goes  to  the  forma- 
tion of  a  statesman.  Meantime,  he  exercised  his  pen  in  the  news- 
papers. In  the  Boston  Daily  Advertiser,  the  National  Advocate, 
and  especially  the  Boston  Courier,  he  frequently  took  a  part  in  the 
controversies  of  the  day,  treating  of  matters  of  currency,  finance, 
secret  societies,  and  constitutional  law.  A  list  of  writers  in  the 
North  American  Revieio  shows  some  fourteen  pajjers  contributed 
by  him  to  different  numbers,  between  forty  and  twenty-five  years 
ago,  mostly  on  subjects  belonging  to  political  economy,  and  to 
political  history  and  biography,  American  and  English.  Among 
pamphlets  issued  by  him  within  twelve  years  after  leaving  college, 
two  bore  the  title  of  "  Reflections  and  Further  Reflections  on  the 
Present  State  of  the  Currency  of  the  United  States  ;"  and  another 
"  An  Appeal  from  the  New  to  the  Old  Whigs,  by  a  Whig  of  the 

10 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

Old  School,"  discussed  with  great  learning  and  ability  ;  the  ques- 
tion, moved  in  General  Jackson's  time  by  Mr.  Calhoun  and  Mr. 
Clay,  and  recently  revived  in  our  own,  of  the  constitutional  power 
of  the  President  to  remove  office-holders  without  the  consent  of 
the  Senate.  In  1843,  Mr.  Adams  pronounced  the  Fourth-of-Juiy 
oration  before  the  municipal  government  of  Boston. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Adams  came  into  the  Massachusetts  House  of 
Eepresentatives  as  a  member  for  Boston,  elected  by  Whig  votes. 
At  the  end  of  the  session  of  the  Legislature,  a  committee  of  the 
Whig  members  issued  a  pamphlet,  entitled  "  A  Review  of  its  Pro- 
ceedings, with  an  Appeal  to  the  Peojile  against  the  Violent  Course 
of  the  Majority," — a  vigorous  paper,  understood  to  be  from  the 
pen  of  Mr.  Adams.  He  was  a  member  of  a  committee  which  pub- 
lished an  elaborate  address  of  the  Whig  members  of  the  Senate 
and  House  of  Eepresentatives  of  Massachusetts  to  their  constitu- 
ents, occasioned  by  the  inaugural  address  of  the  Governor,  and 
may  have  been  the  author  of  that  document.  Through  the  three 
years  of  his  service,  he  was  House  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Commit- 
tee on  Public  Lands.  In  1842,  he  was  at  the  head  of  the  important 
House  committee  for  dividing  the  Commonwealth  into  districts 
for  the  choice  of  members  of  Congress,  and  took  an  active  part  in 
breaking  down  the  discrimination  against  colored  people  as  travel- 
ers in  public  conveyances, — a  measure  which,  unobjectionable  as  it 
seems  to  us  now,  was  opposed  then  with  no  little  passion. 

In  1844  and  1845,  Mr.  Adams  was  a  member  of  the  Senate  of 
Massachusetts,  and  Chairman  of  the  Committees  on  Public  Lands 
and  on  the  Library. 

As  yet  there  was  no  recognized  split  in  the  Whig  party,  but 
still  less  was  there  any  entente  cordiale.  In  1845,  the  increase  of 
the  domain  of  slavery,  by  the  annexation  of  Texas,  was  imminent, 
and  annexation  was  for  the  moment  the  crucial  question  between 
the  promoters  and  the  opponents  of  the  extension  of  the  patriarchal 
institution.  The  treaty,  made  for  the  purpose  by  Mr.  President 
Tyler  and  Mr.  Secretary  Calhoun,  had  failed  in  the  National 
Senate,  tor  want  of  the  constitutional  majority  of  two  thirds.  In 
his  message  to  Congress,  in  December,  1844,  the  President  advised, 
that  the  annexation  should  be  eifected  by  a  joint  resolve  of  the 
two  Houses.  The  House  sanctioned  the  proposal  in  the  last  week 
of  the  following  month,  and  the  Senate  five  weeks  later. 

But  it  was  the  short  session,  and  the  Congress  expired  without 

11 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

having  pushed  through  any  formal  legislative  act,  so  that  there  was 
still  a  glimmer  of  hope  for  escape.  The  exigency  brought  men 
into  association  who  had  not,  or  not  lately,  acted  together  before, 
as  Mr.  Adams,  Mr.  (lately  Attorney-General)  Hoar,  Mr.  Stephen 
C.  Phillips,  Mr.  Wilson,  Mr.  Sumner,  Judge  Allen,  of  the  Con- 
science Whigs  ;  Mr.  Whittior,  Mr.  Sewall,  Mr.  Wright,  Mr.  Pier- 
pout,  of  the  Liberal  party  ;  Mr.  Garrison  and  Mr.  Wendell  Phil- 
lips, of  the  Abolitionists  proper.  In  October,  1845,  at  a  meeting 
.  held  in  Cambridge,  barely  five  weeks  before  the  assembling  of  the 
Twenty-ninth  Congress,  a  committee  of  fifty  persons  was  raised  to 
obtain  an  expression  of  the  peojile  of  Massachusetts  on  the  annex- 
ation of  Texas.  The  committee  circulated  a  campaign  newspaper 
called  The  Free  State  Rally,  and  arranged  meetings  in  all  parts  of 
the  Commonwealth,  which  were  earnestly  addressed  by  opponents 
of  the  annexation  plot.  The  result  was,  that  remonstrances  went 
from  Massachusetts  to  Washington,  with  nearly  sixty  thousand 
signatures,  against  the  admission  of  Texas  into  the  Union  "as  a 
slave  State."  The  catastrophe  was  not  averted,  but  the  public 
mind  of  the  N(Mth  took  important  steps  towards  that  revival  of 
sense  and  virtue  which  finally  shivered  the  system  of  slavery  to 
atoms.  In  the  manly  enterjirise  of  that  time,  no  one  had  a  more 
conspicuous  or  effective  part  than  Mr.  Adams.  And  it  was  not  a 
part  to  be  taken  except  at  heavy  cost.  Whoever  chose  it,  was  pur- 
sued by  the  Whigs  of  the  Cotton  wing  with  an  animosity  the  like 
of  which  was,  perhaps,  never  before  seen  in  this  country  ;  certainly 
not  since  the  lively  times  of  tlio  War  of  1812.  Friendships  going 
back  for  their  beginning  to  the  days  of  childhood  and  youth,  were 
furiously  broken.  In  the  streets,  men  passed  without  recognition 
those  wliom  they  had  loved  like  brothers.  People,  whose  living  in 
any  way  depended  on  their  neighbors'  good-will,  learned  that  it  was 
contingent  on  hard,  new  conditions.  Mr.  Adams's  unquestionable 
position  and  easy  fortune  made  him  less  assailable  than  others,  but 
only  less  so.  The.  cold  shoulder  of  those  whom  one  has  esteemed 
and  obliged  is  no  exhilarating  sight,  even  to  the  most  self-sus- 
tained and  the  most  sufficient  to  themselves.  Some  stepped  back- 
ward sand  escaped  the  annoyance  ;  but  that  was  not  Mr.  Adams's 
way.  And  the  circles,  like  the  newspapers,  did  their  little  best 
against  him,  though,  one  may  believe,  not  as  vigorously  as  they 
might  have  done,  could  they  have  flattered  themselves  that  they 
would  be  able  to  deter,  or  distress,  or  disturb  him. 

13 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

In  the  important  movement  of  that  aiitumn,  which  nltimately 
led  to  the  formation  of  the  Free-soil  party,  Mr.  Adams  was  con- 
stantly active  with  speech  and  pen.  On  the  dissolution  of  the 
Massachusetts  State  Anti-Texas  Committee,  an  elaborate  "  Ad- 
dress to  the  Public,"  which  he  prepared,  recited  the  action  of  the 
committee,  re-stated  its  principles,  and  committed  the  seed  of 
future  patriotic  endeavors  to  the  good  soil  of  a  wide  field.  "  The 
committee,"  he  said  in  this  paper,  "entertain  no  shadow  of  doubt 
of  the  necessity  of  making  resistance  to  slavery  paramount  to 
every  other  consideration  of  a  political  nature."  The  aggressive- 
ness of  pro-slavery  Whiggism  demanded  a  stout  resistance,  and  Mr. 
Adams,  for  the  first  and  last  time  in  his  life,  became  connected 
with  a  newspaper.  The  Boston  Whig,  which  he  consented  to  con- 
duct for  several  months  in  the  political  department,  did  not  a 
little  in  that  critical  time  to  keep  the  adversary  in  check  and 
uphold  the  courage  of  good  men. 

In  the  summer  of  1847,  it  had  become  probable  that  General 
Taylor,  recently  brought  into  notice  by  his  successors  in  Mr.  Polk's 
Mexican  war,  would  be  the  candidate  of  the  Whig  slave-holders 
and  their  Northern  friends  for  the  Presidency  at  the  next  election. 
Mr.  Webster  hoj^ed  that  the  nomination  might  fall  to  himself. 
In  the  last  week  of  September  a  convention  for  nominating  State 
officers  for  Massachusetts  met  at  Springfield.  Mr.  Webster,  though 
not  a  member,  came  to  it  with  some  of  his  intimates,  and  made  a 
speech  designed  to  win  the  favor  of  the  growing  anti-slavery  sec- 
tion. A  delegate  who  wanted,  if  possible,  to  get  on  record  some- 
thing definite,  introduced  a  resolve,  "  Tiiat  the  Whigs  of  Massa- 
chusetts will  support  no  men  as  candidates  for  the  ofiiees  of  Presi- 
dent and  Vice-President  but  such  as  are  kn(jwn  by  their  acts  or 
declared  opinions  to  be  opposed  to  the  extension  of  slavery."  This 
led  to  a  stormy  debate  and  a  rougli  scene.  The  supporters  of  Gen- 
eral Taylor  united  with  the  supporters  of  Mr.  Webster  in  hooting 
down  the  friends  of  the  resolve.  Amidst  tumultuous  outcries  and 
other  interruptions,  Mr.  Adams,  Mr.  Sumner,  Judge  Allen,  and 
others,  got  what  could  scarcely  be  called  a  hearing  in  favor  of  it ; 
while  Mr.  Winthrop,  and  two  other  gentlemen  of  Boston,  devoted 
to  General  Taylor  or  Mr.  Webster,  opposed  it  with  equal  earnest- 
ness. The  vote  was  taken  after  nightfall,  when  in  so  crowded  an 
assembly  the  count  was  difficult,  and  when  numerous  delegates 
from  the  western  towns,  where  the  doctrine  of  the  resolve  was  pop- 

13 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

ular,  had  retired  to  their  liomes.  The  president,  Mr.  Ashman, 
who  was  not  in  favor  of  it,  had  aiipointed  two  tellers,  both  of  his 
own  inclining,  who  reported  that  it  was  defeated  by  a  small  ma- 
jority. The  better  opinion  on  both  sides  was  that  the  tellers  had 
counted  incorrectly.  In  nearly  all,  if  not  all,  the  county  conven- 
tions held  presently  afterwards,except  Suffolk  (Boston,  and  a  suburb 
or  two),  the  resolve,  defeated  in  the  convention,  was  passed  in  the 
same  words,  or  in  substance.  The  Whig  party  of  Massachusetts, 
if  it  could  be  trusted  as  speaking  the  mind  of  its  majority,  would 
not  listen  to  any  further  extension  of  slavery. 

A  reconciliation  of  two  policies  so  discordant  and  so  vital  was 
impossible.  The  Whig  party  of  the  nation  could  no  longer  hold 
together.  In  the  Thirtieth  Congress,  which  presently  met,  a  small 
number  of  Whigs  (two  or  three  only,  for  party  bonds  were  im- 
mensely strong)  refused  their  votes  to  Mr.  Winthrop  as  Speaker 
of  the  House,  and  he  was  only  chosen  by  an  adhesion  of  members 
from  Mississippi  and  South  Carolina.  Nor  was  the  Democratic 
party  any  longer  without  its  divisions  and  anxieties.  The  Banquo 
head  reared  itself  at  the  Democratic  feasts  in  New  Hampshire, 
New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  and  elsewhere. 

The  two  healthy  organizations  having  nominated  their  respec- 
tive candidates— General  Cass  and  General  Taylor— for  the  next 
Presidency,  it  was  felt  to  be  time  for  the  Free-soil  party,  so  in- 
sensibly and  yet  so  loosely  constituted,  to  take  form  and  action. 
Three  weeks  after  the  nomination  of  General  Taylor,  a  meeting  of 
citizens  of  Massachusetts— to  the  number,  it  was  said,  of  five 
thousand— was  held  in  Worcester.  In  spirited  resolves  they  de- 
clared their  adherence  to  the  often-professed  principles  of  Massa- 
chusetts on  the  subject  of  slavery,  and  their  purpose  to  maintain 
them  in  political  action.  On  the  9th  of  August,  a  national  con- 
vention of  the  citizens  of  the  same  way  of  thinking  came  together 
at  Buffalo,  in  New  York.  Delegates  appeared  from  seventeen  or 
eighteen  States,  and  the  number  of  sympathizers  who  had  assem- 
bled were  variously  estimated  at  from  thirty  to  fifty  thousand. 
The  ])rominence  of  Mr.  Adams  in  the  Free-soil  ranks  was  recog- 
nized by  his  appointment  to  preside  over  the  convention. 

It  was  probably  the  general  expectation  of  those  who  had  conao 
into  the  Free-soil  party  from  among  the  Whigs— at  all  events,  it 
was  their  general  wish— that  the  new  party's  nomination  for  the 
Presidency  should  fall  upon  Judge  John  McLean,  of  Ohio,  a  per- 

14 


CHARLES    FRANCIS    ADAMS.. 

son  in  universal  esteem  for  the  best  qualities  of  man.  In  the  fluid 
state  of  the  great  Whig  party,  and  indeed  of  both  parties,  at  that 
time,  it  is  not  highly  improbable  that,  had  that  nomination  been 
made,  it  might  have  been  carried  in  a  sufficient  number  of  States 
to  bring  the  election  into  the  House  of  Kepresentatives,  and  there 
ultimately  have  been  sustained  by  an  election  through  the  alterna- 
tive constitutional  process.  But  the  great  influence  of  Mr.  (since 
Chief-Justice)  Chase,  of  the  same  State  as  Judge  McLean,  was 
against  that  nomination,  and  it  was  opposed  by  that  preponderat- 
ing force  of  New  York  Free-soilers  who  had  come  from  the  Demo- 
cratic ranks.  Mr.  Butler,  formerly  Mr.  Van  Buren's  Attorney- 
General,  with  other  scarcely  less  able  and  distinguished  intimates 
of  the  late  President,  exerted  themselves  to  satisfy  the  convention 
that  that  gentleman's  recent  assertion  of  Free-soil  convictions 
might  be  relied  upon,  and  that  he,  and  he  only,  could  carry  the 
large  electoral  vote  of  New  York  for  the  new  party,  and  shiver  the 
Democratic  combination  throughout  the  Northern  States.  Mr. 
Van  Buren  was  accordingly  nominated  as  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
dency, and  Mr.  Adams,  representing  in  former  years  a  very  different 
type  of  political  thought  and  character,  was  named  for  the  second 
office. 

The  nomination  of  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  a  staggering  blow  to  the 
Free-soil  party  in  New  England,  in  which  region  lay  its  greatest 
strength.  A  portion  of  tlat  party  still  retaining  their  Whig 
affinities,  could  not  make  up  their  minds  to  give  a  vote  for  one  who 
had  so  long  had  a  front  place  in  their  maledictions  ;  and  numbers, 
on  their  tremulous  transition  way,  were  rei^elled  and  driven  back. 
Ultra  Whiggery  revived,  as  by  a  i-ejuvenating  spell.  Contrary  to 
all  the  indubitable  recent  tendencies  of  thought.  General  Taylor, 
or  rather  Mr.  Lawrence  and  his  co-workers,  had  their  way  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, though  there,  in  sjjite  of  the  immense  discouragement, 
the  new  party  cast  nearly  one  third  of  the  whole  number  of 
votes. 

A  worse  thing  than  defeat  befell  the  Free-soil  party  of  Mr. 
Adams's  State.  There  was  a  portion  of  it  too  impatient  of  present 
ill-success.  For  more  reasons  than  one,  they  thought  they  could 
not  afford  to  wait  for  the  healthy  triumph  of  the  doctrine  they 
maintained  to  install  them  in  the  seats  of  power.  That  "success 
is  a  duty  "  was  a  maxim  adopted  by  them  with  too  little  consider- 
ation of  its  sense  and  bearings.     "  Flectere  si  nequeo,"  etc.     It  soon 

15 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

appeared  that  Mr.  Wilson  and  some  others  differed  from  Mr. 
Adams  and  some  others  in  respect  to  the  further  course  incumbent 
on  the  bafSed  friends  of  freedom.  Mr.  Adams  had  great  faith  in 
principles,  and  not  so  much  in  expedients,  and  in  some  sorts  of 
plausible  expedients  he  had  no  faith  whatever.  Mr.  Wilson 
looked  more  to  quick  achievement,  and  was  less  averse  to  instru- 
mental inconsistencies  and  indirections.  The  difference  bet  Teen 
the  two  policies  is  well  known,  so  often  have  they  come  into  con- 
trast and  conflict.  The  instructed  statesman,  with  the  reach  of  a 
"  large  discourse,  looking  before  and  after,"  trusts  confidently  to 
the  ultimate  success  of  righteous  principles,  which  never  ftiiled 
yet,  nor  will  till  tlie  "pillared  firmament  is  rottenness."  A  different 
class  of  actors  esteem  unduly  an  immediate  appearance  of  success, 
however  embarrassed  by  concomitants  that  strip  it  of  its  integrity 
and  worth. 

At  the  annual  election  of  1850  in  Massachusetts,  when  the 
exasperation  at  Mr.  Webster's  then  recent  advocacy  of  the  Fugitive- 
slave  Bill  was  at  the  highest,  members  were  returned  to  the 
Legislature  by  the  three  parties  respectively, — Whig,  Free-soil,  and 
Democratic, — according  as  one  or  another  had  a  majority  in  the 
different  constituencies.  Some  compact  or  understanding  for  joint 
action  had  been  supposed  to  exist  between  a  few  persons  active  in 
the  two  latter  parties,  but  in  all  or  most  of  their  newspapers  the 
plan  had  been  disavowed.  When,  however,  the  Legislature  cam3 
together,  it  was  announced  in  potential  quarters  that  such  an 
understanding  existed.  Scrupulous  men  of  the  Free-soil  party 
were  solicited  to  acquiesce,  on  the  ground  that  one  result  of  it 
would  bo  Ihe  return  of  Mr.  Sumner  to  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  it  was  urged  that  the  compact 
alleged  had  not  been  made  by,  or  known  to,  the  body  of  the  electors  ; 
that  the  policy  urged,  besides  being  more  than  questionable  on 
higher  grounds,  was  not  even  recommended  by  considerations  of 
present  expediency  ;  that  even  the  election  of  Mr.  Sumner,  the 
great  lure  to  friends  of  the  cause  which  he  had  been  so  con- 
spicuously maintaining,  would  be  as  likely  or  more  likely  to  be 
secured  by  a  consistent  and  untrammeled  action  on  their  part ;  and 
that,  at  the  worst,  the  indications  were  that  the  popular  will  would 
bring  him  in  at  the  next  election,  without  any  trading  with  his 
enemies.  Such  considerations,  however,  failed  to  convince.  The 
compact  presumed  was  now  made,  if  it  had  not  been  made  before — 

16  V 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

at  least  between  certain  busy  leaders.  By  the  Legislature,  which 
had  to  select  between  the  thiee  candidates, — since  in  the  tripartite 
contest  there  had  been  no  choice  by  the  popular  vote, — Mr.  Bout- 
well,  the  candidate  of  the  Democrats,  was  chosen  Governor,  and  the 
first  fruit  of  the  unpleasant  alliance  of  the  Free-soil  party  was  that 
the  chief  magistrate  of  Massachusetts,  made  so  by  their  votes, 
delivered  in  his  inaugural  address  an  argument  in  defense  of  the 
Fugitive-slave  Bill.  And,  after  all,  the  sanguine  Free-soil 
managers  barely  escaped  the  mortification  of  that  enthusiast  for 
Whitefield's  preaching,  who  found  on  better  information  that  he 
had  soiled  his  dress  for  nothing.  The  Democrats,  having  secured 
their  share,  did  not  come  up  to  their  engagement,  if  engagement 
they  made,  and,  after  a  contest  of  many  weeks,  Mr.  Sumner  was 
chosen  by  a  change  of  the  vote  of  a  Whig  representative,  given 
under  instructions  from  his  town. 

Ml-.  Boutwell,  under  another  election  of  the  same  hybrid  kind, 
was  Governor  for  a  second  year,  two  successive  candidates  mean- 
while accepting  the  nomination  of  the  Free-soil  party,  in  hopes  of 
keeping  it  together  for  service  in  better  times.  At  the  nominating 
convention  held  in  1852,  the  candidate  of  the  preceding  year,  in 
consideration  of  the  divided  sentiments  of  the  party,  withdrew  his 
name.  It  was  thought  by  many  that  Mr.  Wilson  would  be  nom- 
inated in  his  place,  but  the  choice  fell  on  Mr.  Horace  Mann,  who 
had  served  iu  two  Congresses  as  successor  to  Mr.  John  Quincy 
Adams.  The  canvass  of  the  Free-soil  party  was  not  so  spirited  as 
it  might  have  been  had  not  Mr.  Wilson,  the  most  active  member 
of  the  State  committee,  and  perhaps  at  that  time  its  chairman, 
been  absent  from  the  State  during  the  first  month.  Some  of  the 
party  were  made  uneasy  and  dispirited  by  the  deflections  which 
they  had  witnessed,  and  for  which  they  could  not  consent  to  be 
responsible.  Whigs  who  had  recently  come  to  them,  or  were  on 
their  way,  found  an  easy  excuse  for  turning  back  ;  and  again  a 
Whig  administration  was  inaugurated  in  Massachusetts,  with 
Mr.  Clifibrd  at  its  head. 

If  there  is  to  be  relief  from  this,  thought  the  concocters  of  the 
late  coalition,  it  must  be  had  by  another  move  in  the  same  direction. 
They  stirred  for  a  convention  to  amend  the  State  Constitution. 
Into  such  a  body  it  was  likely  that  there  might  be  brought  a 
conglomeration  of  indifferents  and  malcontents,  subjects  for  such 
manipulation  as  might  combine  them  iu  joint  action  for  the  tempo- 

17 


CHAEuL£S    FRANCIS    ADAMS. 

rary  purpose  in  hand.  The  point  seized  upon  in  justification  of 
the  measure  was,  that  for  a  considerable  time  there  had  been  well- 
founded  complaint  of  an  unequal  adjustment  of  power  among  the 
towns  as  represented  in  the  lower  branch  of  the  State  Legislature. 
If  there  was  anything  else  in  the  Constitution  that  demanded  a 
chano-e,  it  was  not  of  such  importance  as  to  attract  much  attention; 
and,  at  all  events,  any  change  that  was  really  desirable  might 
easily  and  deliberately  be  made  by  the  method  pointed  out  in  the 
Constitution  itself, — that  is,  a  resolve  of  two  successive  Legislatures, 
confirmed  by  a  vote  of  the  whole  people  in  the  towns.  But  this 
would  not  have  served  the  present  turn.  The  sight  of  Whigs  in 
power  was  irritating  to  many  :  to  many  more  it  was  justly  painful. 
The  Whigs  wanted  no  convention.  Democrats  and  numerous 
Free-soilers  voted  for  it :  their  johit  vote  prevailed,  and  the  con- 
vention met. 

Against  the  meeting  of  the  convention  in  the  summer  of  1853 
the  coalition  tactics  had  been  assiduously  worked  over  by  the 
parties  concerned,  and  the  resulting  rules  were  stringently  applied. 
Some  men  seemingly  competent  to  contribute  something  to  the 
deliberations  of  such  a  council  were  carefully  excluded  by  the  con- 
tracting parties.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  man  in  the  Common- 
wealth was  more  largely  qualified  for  that  service,  whether  by 
integrity,  ability,  study,  or  experience,  than  Mr.  Adams.  He  might 
have  been  returned  as  a  member  (so  was  the  electing  system 
arranged)  by  any  town  in  the  Commonwealth;  but  he  was  under 
the  ban  of  the  present  guides  of  all  parties, — of  the  Whigs  and 
Democrats,— because  of  his  testimony  against  the  pro-slavery 
leaning  ;  of  the  new  Free-soil  leaders,  because  he  held  oif  from 
their  abnormal  alliance  ;  so  that,  in  Cromwell's  phrase  to  the 
Parliament,  there  was  "  no  longer  need  of  him."  Mr.  Boutwell 
and  Mr.  Wilson  were  of  the  innermost  council  of  the  convention, 
and  prime  agents  in  its  busy  scenes.  In  their  interest,  Mr.  Presi- 
dent Banks,  though  not  ignorant  of  parliamentary  law,  ruled 
wildly.  The  confident  body  lost  sight  of  the  ostensible  purpose  of 
its  convocation,  and  branched  out  into  various  schemes,  as  the 
theoretical  vagaries  of  individual  members  prompted,  or  the 
expediencies  incident  to  welding  more  closely  together  the  two 
unsympathizing  parties.  The  result  of  its  three  months'  discussion 
was  the  composition  of  a  full  draft  of  an  amended  Constitution,  to 
be  passed  upon  by  the  popular  vote.     In  the  place  of  that  unequal 

18 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

representation  in  the  lower  branch  of  the  Legislature  which  had 
been  the  avowed  occasion  of  its  meeting,  it  proposed  another 
system  still  more  unequal  in  the  same  way,  and  more  objection- 
able in  various  ways.  Several  offices  hitherto  conferred  by  the 
appointment  of  the  Executive,  the  Legislature,  or  the  Judicial  y 
(the  ofiices  of  attorney-general,  secretary,  and  treasurer,  sheriffs  and 
prosecuting  officers,  clerks  of  courts),  it  made  elective,  throwing 
them  into  the  party  scramble  of  the  primary  meetings.  Above 
all,  it  proposed  to  banish  from  Massachusetts  the  institution  of  an 
independent,  capable,  andimpartial  judiciary,  by  limiting  the  terms 
of  judicial  service,  and  making  the  appointment  of  judges  from 
time  to  time  by  the  Governor  an  element  in  the  party  contests  of 
the  successive  years.  The  danger  of  the  time,  and  a  disposition  to 
concede  much  for  the  sake  of  saving  something  when  a  comprehen- 
sive wreck  seemed  to  be  threatened,  must  be  supposed  to  have 
helped  the  reckless  powers  that  were  in  their  successful  endeavors 
to  win  over  to  their  plans  men  not  often  known  to  fail  in  bringing 
courage  and  good  sense  to  the  public  service. 

So  late  as  three  weeks  before  this  disastrous  project  was  to  be 
voted  on  by  the  people,  there  was  extremely  little  doubt,  on  the 
part  whether  of  friend  or  foe,  that  it  would  be  carried  through^  so 
overpowering  seemed  the  motley  union,  in  act,  of  the  parties  per- 
sisting in  their  opposite  professions  in  general  politics.  Mr.  Adams 
was  one  of  those  who  did  not  lose  hope.  In  speech  and  print  he 
addressed  his  fellow-citizens  with  vigorous  expositions  of  the  danger 
which  was  upon  them.  The  danger  was  averted,  though  by  a  most 
narrow  escape.  A  majority  of  4,859  in  123, 8G3  votes,  sent  the 
portentous  scheme  to  its  place.  If  life,  liberty,  property,  and  repu- 
tation are  at  this  day  in  Massachusetts  secure  under  safeguards 
such  as  contrast  with  the  processes  of  judicial  administration  in 
New  York,  no  name  more  than  Mr.  Adams's  deserves  honor  for  the 
constancy  and  wisdom  that  stood  for  them  victoriously  in  that 
time  of  appalling  peril. 

The  alliance  in  the  convention  had  overleaped  itself;  and, 
having  no  principle  of  cohesion  connected  with  the  public  good,  it 
was  demoralized  by  its  dafeat,  and  the  Whig  dynasty  kept  its 
power  in  the  State  through  the  next  year.  In  the  autumn  of 
1854,  Mr.  Wilson  being  then  the  candidate  of  the  Free-soil  party 
for  the  office  of  Governor,  the  advancing  rush  of  the  Know-nothing 
train  was  unmistakably  heard.     A  brisk  leap  brought  Mr.  Wilson 

19 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

upon  the  thundering  engine  as  it  neared  the  watering-place  at  the 
Election  Station,  and  he  was  presently  set  down  by  it  on  the  plat- 
form of  the  Senate  of  the  United  States.  Within  a  fortnight 
before  the  time  for  the  fall  election,  it  was  announced  that  Mr. 
Wilson  withdrew  himself  from  the  service  of  the  Free-soil  party  as 
their  candidate  for  the  chief  magistracy  of  the  State.  It  was  too 
late  to  do  anything  with  any  other  candidate,  and  the  party  was 
effectually  disarmed. 

If  it  had  not  been  so  intensely  sad  on  the  score  of  public 
morality,  it  would  have  been  amusing  to  see  the  clean  sweep 
which,  in  that  dislocated  state  of  politics,  the  extemporized  Know- 
nothing  party  made.  Leaves  driven  before  a  tornado  were  a  faint 
image  of  the  fury  with  which  it  scattered  things  along  the  track. 
The  lately  multitudinous  Democratic  party,  the  lately  firm-seated 
Whig  party,  found  themselves  nowhere.  Not  enough  was  left  of 
either  in  Massachusetts  to  pick  up  and  splinter  and  dress.  Till 
revived  under  another  title  after  two  or  three  years,  the  Free-soil 
party  had  no  longer,  anywhere,  more  than  a  name  to  live. 

The  story  of  the  extraordinary  career  of  the  Know-nothing 
party  is  not  savory,  nor  is  there  any  occasion  now  for  memory  to 
revive   the   sensations  imparted  by  that  unpleasant  atmosphere. 
The  saving  quality  of  the  reign  was  that  it  was  short.     Mr.  Adams 
had  not  liked  the  Massachusetts  coalition  project  in  its  different 
phases  ;  to  the  scheme,  for  spoiling  the  Constitution  he  had  stood 
in  victorious  resistance  ;  he  did  not  like  the  Know-nothing  move- 
ment ;  and  his  disaffection  was  cordially  requited  by  the  ill-yoked 
leaders,  not  so  much  to  his  own  cost  as  to  that  of  the  iiublic  which 
he  might  have  served  so  well.     Kelegated  by  an  absolute  ostracism 
to  private  life,  while  the  electors  of  the  Congressional  district  of 
his  residence,  or  the  jobbers,  who  wrought  upon  them,  considered 
Mr.  Damrell  to  be  more  competent   to  appear  for   them   in  the 
councils  of  the  nation,  he  was  not  left  without  the  means  of  digni- 
fied employment  for   his  time,  nor  without   opportunities  to  be 
useful  to  his  countrymen  in  labors  to  which  their  votes  were  not 
needed  to  introduce  him.    He  devoted  himself,  as  his  main  occupa- 
tion, to  preparing  for  the  press  a  portion  of  the  writings  of  his 
grandfather,   the  second  President.     Of  this   great   work,   which, 
after  rigid  selection  and  condensation  of  matter,  had  to  extend 
over  ten  closely-printed  octavo  volumes,  the  first  volume  was  pub- 
lished in  1850  ;   the  last,  containing  a  biography,  in  1856. 

20 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

The  life  of  a  statesman  can  only  be  fitly  written  by  a  statesman. 
The  life  of  John  Adams — coeval,  till  beyond  middle  age,  with  the 
colonial  times,  of  importance  second  only  to  that  of  one  other  life 
in  the  struggle  from  which  our  country  came  forth  as  one  of  the 
family  of  nations,  and  intimately  complicated  with  all  the  contro- 
versies of  our  early  interior  national  politics — could  only  be 
satisfactorily  recorded  by  a  scholar  of  the  best  historical  knowledge, 
and  could  only  be  worthily  analyzed  by  a  thinker  who,  in  addition 
to  having  within  his  mind's  range  of  view  the  whole  political  field 
of  the  time,  understood  the  weakness  and  the  strength,  the  dangers 
and  the  securities,  of  the  various  jiolitical  systems,  and  the  motives, 
worthy  and  generous,  selfish  and  threatening,  which  more  or  less 
through  all  recorded  time  have  acted  on  the  minds  of  men  intrusted 
with  the  conduct  of  public  aflairs.  As  a  tribute  to  ancestral 
services  and  greatness,  Mr.  Adams  may  well  have  thought  the 
time  well  spent  which  was  devoted  to  this  carefully  finished  com- 
position. But  he  had  a  right  to  think  far  more  highly  of  it  still  as 
a  contribution  to  the  knowledge  of  his  fellow-citizens  on  matters 
of  the  weightiest  practical  concern,  and  to  wholesome  influences 
upon  the  national  character.  Literary  critics  will  extol  the  merits 
of  this  memoir  as  a  felicitous  essay  in  one  of  the  most  attractive 
departments  of  fine  writing.  Lovers  of  historical  truth  will  prize 
the  information  and  conviction  they  obtain  from  it  on  grave  matters 
disputed  in  our  fathers'  days,  as  the  designs  of  our  French  ally  in 
connection  with  the  peace  of  1783,  the  wisdom  of  the  undertaking 
to  deal  with  the  French  Directory  in  1797,  and  the  military 
appointments  at  the  time  of  our  quarrel  with  the  French  in  1798. 
But  what  will  most  take  the  attention  of  the  reflecting  patriot  is 
the  high  and  strict  standard  of  rectitude  and  public  spirit  in  public 
action  which  is  everywhere  upheld  throughout  this  work.  0  si  sic 
omnes  I  The  grandson  was  no  indiscriminating  champion  of  the 
illustrious  character  which  he  undertook  to  exhibit.  He  was 
equal  to  judging,  better  than  most  men,  what  there  was  to  criticise, 
as  well  as  what  to  defend  or  applaud,  and  he  was  equally  true  to 
both  offices  as  occasions  arose.  But,  whether  censure  or  commen- 
dation was  the  theme,  one  thing,  as  far  as  this  specimen  was 
concerned,  was  always  apparent — that  at  the  bar  of  American 
history  the  question  respecting  American  rulers  would  be,  whether 
with  unselfish  purpose  they  had  striven  for  the  public  good. 

Disintegrated  and  fsj^parently  demolished  as  the  Free-soil  party 

31 


CnARLES    FRANCIS    ADAMS. 

had  been,  its  priuci|)les  proved  to  have  an  indestructible  vitality, 
and  their  vigor  was  quickened  by  the  course  of  the  Southern 
politicians.  *  *  *  *  "'■'  *  i?epM6/ica«  was  an  inoffen- 
sive name.  It  provoked  no  angry  pride  of  consistency.  So,  under 
a  salutary  lead  of  prevailing  public  sentiment,  hack  politicians  of 
the  old  parties,  having  their  eyes  anointed  to  see  which  was  going 
to  be  the  winner  in  the  struggle  and  the  giver  of  gifts,— along  with 
much  larger  numbers  of  better  men,  honest  champions  long  ago  of 
the  Free-soil  doctrine,  and  recent  converts  to  it, — became  banded 
in  a  formidable  party,  and  were  training  under  the  name  of  Re- 
publicans as  early  as  some  time  in  1S55. 

The  comprehensive  character  of  this  arrangement,  and  still 
more  a  conviction,  enforced  by  the  thickening  perils  of  the  time, 
opened  a  door  for  the  admission  of  more  character  and  capacity 
into  the  public  service  than  of  late  had  seemed  to  bo  thought 
needful.  In  1858,  Mr.  Adams,  having  then,  since  1845,  with  the 
consent  of  the  guides  of  the  "  inside  of  politics  "  of  all  descriptions, 
filled  that  post  of  honor,  a  private  station,  was  chosen  by  the  third 
district  of  Masacliusetts  to  represent  it  in  the  Thirty-sixth  Con- 
gress of  the  United  States. 

The  crisis  had  beeu  approaching  with  steady  and  not  slow 
pace.  Under  the  lead  of  Mr.  Douglas,  the  Missouri  Compromise 
had  been  repealed  (May  13th,  1854),  after  all  the  benefits  for  which 
it  was  designed  had  been  reaped  by  the  slave-power  advocates,  and 
when  the  time  had  come  for  it  to  work  the  other  way.  Represen- 
tatives from  South  Carolina  had  made  an  all  but  fatal  assault 
upon  a  Massachusetts  Senator  in  his  place  in  the  Capitol  (May  22d, 
1856).  The  National  Republican  party,  organized  in  a  convention 
at  Philadelphia  (June  17th,  1856),  had  been  defeated  (November, 
1856)  in  the  attempt  to  raise  Mr.  Fremont  to  the  Presidency,  and 
the  Democracy  had  chosen  Mr.  Buchanan.     ••■■     *     *     *     "'•'" 

Such  was  the  state  of  parties— the  Know-nothing  party  being 
still  in  flower— that  till  the  end  of  the  first  eight  weeks  of  Mr. 
Adams's  first  service  in  Congress  the  House  did  not  get  farther  than 
the  choice  of  a  Speaker.  The  ultimate  election  of  Mr.  Pennington, 
of  New  Jersey,  to  that  place  was  a  triumph  for  the  Republican 
party.  In  both  Houses  the  session  was  an  excited  one.  A  series 
of  resolves,  introduced  into  the  Senate  by  Mr.  Jefl'erson  Davis, 
indicated  the  policy  to  be  pursued  by  his  party  in  the  approach- 

ino-  Presidential  election.     In  the  debate  upon  them,  as  well  as  ou 

°  23 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

other  occasions,  SeDatois  and  Representatives  from  the  South 
dealt  freely  in  the  threat  that  if  a  Republican  President  should  be 
chosen,  the  slave-holding  States  would  detach  themselves  from  the 
Union,  and  the  expectation  was  confidently  expressed  that  they 
would  have  so  much  aid  from  their  party  friends  at  the  North  as 
would  make  it  impossible  to  resist  them. 

Mr.  Adams,  as  has  been  usual  with  judicious  men  entering  on 
an  untried  sphere,  abstained  from  using  opportunities  for  promi- 
nence, while  he  watched  closely  the  course  of  proceedings  and  the 
characters  of  men.     He  was  the  acting  member  of  the  important 
Joint  Committee  on  the  Library,  and  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Manufactures,   which,  as  things  turned  out,  had  little  business 
referred  to  it  during  the  session.     Toward  the  close  of  the  first 
session,  he  addressed  the  House  (May  31st,  1860)  in  an  elaborate 
and  forcible  speech,  vindicating  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  exhibiting  its  "indispensable  necessity  to  the  actual 
salvation   of  our  free  institutions."     Just  at   the   same  time,  he 
attracted  the  surprised  attention  of  the  House  by  a  characteristic 
act.      It   was   alleged   that   members   of  the   controlling   party, 
professing  to  act  for  their  associates,  had  made  a  bargain  with  a 
person  named  Defrees,  that  they  would  choose  him  to  the  place  of 
public  printer  for  the  House,  with  a  very  large  compensation,  if  he 
would  give  them  half  the  profits  for  the  circulation  of  electioneer- 
ing documents;  and  a  member  (Mr.  Clopton,  of  Alabama)  affirmed 
in  debate  that  the  job  was  defeated  for  want  of  the  one  Republican 
vote  of  Mr.  Adams.     That  it  was  defeated,  there  is  no  doubt.  That 
in   defeating  it   Mr.  Adams  stood  alone,  it  would  be  painful  to 
believe,  though   there   is   no   doubt  he  would   have  held  such  a 
position  calmly,  notwithstanding  his  finding  himself  solitary  in  it. 
In  the  interval  between  the  two  sessions  of  his  Congressional 
service,  Mr.  Adams,  in  company  with  Mr.  Seward,  made  a  journey 
in  some  of  the  North-western  States,  where  personally  he  had  not 
hitherto  been  much  known,  and  addressed  several  popular  assem- 
blies on  the  Presidential  election  which  was  approaching.     When 
Cono-ress  met  again  in  December,  the  choice  of  electors  had  been 
made,  determining  the  succession  of  Mr.  Lincoln  to  the  Presidency  ; 
and  within  the  next  two  weeks  the  South  Carolina  Senators  had 
resigned  their  seats,  and  the  Legislature  of  Georgia  had  appropri- 
ated a  million  of  dollars  to  arm  its  militia.        ■■-■ 

Immediately  after  the  inauguration  of   President  Lincoln,  Mr 

13 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

Adams  was  commissioned  as  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  England, 
in  the  place  of  Mr.  Dallas,  and  he  sailed  from  Boston  for  that 
service  in  the  first  week  in  May.  He  was  now  in  the  sphere  for 
the  exercise  and  manifestation  of  his  rare  qualities.  They  were  illus- 
trated by  the  great  discouragements  which  he  had  to  encounter. 
The  great  civil  war  had  broken  out.  The  ministry  and  the  ruling 
classes  of  England  were  unfriendly.  The  Tory  party  could  not 
but  welcome  the  prospect  of  a  downfall  of  the  great  republic, 
whose  prosperity  had  so  potently  backed  up  the  argument  of 
English  friends  to  free  principles  and  free  institutions.  The  Whig 
aristocracy,  alarmed  by  the  progressive  radicalism  of  their  own 
allies  at  home,  were  not  unwilling  that  it  should  receive  a  check 
from  the  failure  of  the  American  experiment.  Except  the  great 
names  of  the  Duke  of  Argyll,  Mr.  Bright,  and  Mr.  Cobden,  there 
were  few  in  the  first  rank  of  English  statesmen  who  looked  favorably 
or  justly  on  the  rights  or  prospects  of  this  country.  In  the  commer- 
cial circles,  in  which,  since  the  squirarchy  has  become  more 
enlightened,  the  intensest  burliness  of  John-BuUism  resides,  the 
ruin  of  the  groat  maritime  power  across  the  water  was  a  welcome 
conclusion.  The  suffering  that  would  fall  on  the  laboring  classes 
in  consequence  of  the  stoppage  of  the  supply  of  cotton  from 
America  was  apparent ;  and  the  decision  with  which,  as  it  proved, 
they  nt)t  only  refrained  from  pressing  their  government  into  hostile 
measures,  but  pronounced  their  advocacy  of  that  cause  of  freedom 
in  America  which  they  instinctively  felt  to  be  their  own,  showed  a 
sense  and  magnanimity  which  it  would  have  seemed  visionary  to 
look  for.  The  clergy,  from  Cornwall  to  the  Tweed,  rejoiced  in  the 
new  demonstration  that  social  order  was  only  to  be  had  under  the 
shadow  of  a  church-sustaining  throne.  The  Carlton  Club  was 
elate.  The  Reform  Club  was  bewildered  and  double-minded. 
Lord  Palraerston,  even  beyond  his  wont,  was  flippant  and 
cheerful. 

Mr.  Adams  stepped  into  the  circle  collected,  prepared,  grave, 
dignified,  self-poised,  with  the  port  of  one  who  felt  that  he  had 
great  rights  to  secure,  that  he  knew  how  to  vindicate  them,  and 
that  he  had  a  stout  power  behind  him  for  their  maintenance. 
The  British  ministry — not  over-reluctant  themselves — were  pressed 
by  solicitations  from  across  the  Channel,  as  well  as  by  taunts  and 
importunities  at  home,  to  espouse  the  cause  of  the  insurgent  States. 
That  they  were  held  to  a  neutrality,  however  imperfect,  instead 

24 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

of  proceeding  to  an  active  intervention,  was  largely  due  to  the 
admirable  temper  and  ability  with  which  our  diplomacy  was  con- 
ducted. A  short  time  sufficed  to  make  it  appear  that  Mr.  Adams 
was  not  to  be  bullied,  or  cajoled,  or  hoodwinked,  or  irritated  into 
an  imprudence,  and  every  day  of  his  long  residence  uear  the 
British  court  brought  its  confirmation  to  that  profitable  lesson. 
Under  provocations  and  assumptions  the  more  offensive  for  being 
sheathed  in  soft  diplomatic  phrase,  not  a  petulant  word  was  to  be 
had  from  the  American  Minister,  nor  a  word,  on  the  other  liand, 
indicative  of  a  want  of  proud  confidence  in  the  claims  and  in  the 
future  of  his  country.  A  timid  and  yielding  temper  would  have 
invited  encroachments  ;  a  testy  humor  or  discourteous  address 
would  have  been  seized  upon  as  excuse  for  reserve  or  counter- 
irritation.  Nor  by  the  preparation  of  study  was  he  less  equal  to 
th.;  difficult  occasion  than  by  native  qualities  of  mind  and  charac- 
ter, as  was  proved  more  than  once  when.  Lord  John  having 
flattered  himself  that  he  had  discovered  some  chink  in  our  mail  in 
some  passage  of  our  treatment  of  Spain  and  the  South- American 
republics,  the  pert  diplomatist  had  to  learn  that  it  would  be 
prudent  for  him  to  go  into  a  more  careful  reading  of  the  records  of 
past  American  administrations.  It  is  of  less  consequence-  to  say 
that  Mr.  Adams's  personal  accomplishments,  his  familiarity  with 
the  usages  of  elegant  society,  his  cultivated  taste  in  art,  and  the 
good  scholarship  of  his  acquaintance  with  the  classical  historians, 
orators,  and  poets  (a  sort  of  attainment  nowhere  more  considered 
than  in  England),  added  to  the  estimation  which  attached  to 
him.  Going  to  that  country  in  circumstances  of  the  extremest 
perplexity  and  trial,  he  left  it,  after  seven  years,  the  object  of 
universal  respect,  and  of  an  extent  and  earnestness  of  private 
regard  seldom  accorded,  in  any  circumstances,  to  the  representative 
of  a  foreign  power.  To  maintain  at  once  an  inflexible  and  an 
inoffensive  attitude;  to  assert,  without  a  jot  or  tittle  of  abatement, 
a  country's  unconceded  right,  yet  expose  no  coigne  of  vantage  to 
the  aggressor  by  a  rash  advance;  to  enforce  justice  and  tranquilizc 
passion  at  the  same  time, — are  the  consummate  achievement,  the 
last  crowning  grace,  of  diplomacy. 

Since  Mr.  Adams  was  recalled  from  England  at  his  own  request, 
he  has,  as  in  former  years,  lived  in  Boston  in  the  winter,  and  ill 
the  summer  months  has  managed  his  extensive  farm  at  Quincy, 
eight  miles  from  town,  where  he  has  occupied  the  ancient  house 

25 


CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

which  John  Adams,  attached  to  it  by  early  recollections,  purchased 
before  his  return  from  Europe  in  1788.  His  later  connection  with 
public  affairs  has  almost  entirely  grown  out  of  this  well-accomplished 
diplomatic  duty  ;  for,  since  his  return  to  America,  he  has  taken  no 
part  in  politics  at  home,  but  has  devoted  his  time  to  matters  con- 
nected with  international  law.  In  December,  1870,  he  delivered  an 
address  upon  American  neutrality  before  the  New  York  Historical 
Society,  at  their  request. 

When,  by  the  terms  of  the  Treaty  of  Washington,  it  was  decided 
to  submit  the  Alabama  and  kindred  claims  to  arbitration  at  Geneva, 
Mr.  Adams  was  unhesitatingly  selected  as  the  arbitrator  to  be  ap- 
pointed on  the  part  of  America.  His  discharge  of  that  duty  is  too 
fresh  in  the  minds  of  all  to  need  recounting  here. 

By  special  invitation  of  the  New  York  Legislature,  Mr.  Adams 
was  chief  orator  in  the  Memorial  Service  held  in  hopor  of  the  late 
William  H.  Seward,  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  April  18th,  1873.  His  oration 
on  that  occasion  was  a  splendid  scholarly  tribute  to  the  character 
and  services  of  the  deceased  statesman,  and  fitly  crowned  the  great 
career  which  it  commemorated,  "  It  was,"  as  expressed  by  another, 
"  one  of  the  most  earnest  and  impassioned  eulogies  ever  uttered  by 
one  friend  over  the  grave  of  another."  Mr.  Adams,  in  speaking  of 
his  own  relation  to  the  day's  event  and  its  subject,  feelingly  referred 
to  the  fact  that  in  the  same  place,  twenty-five  years  ago,  Mr.  Seward 
was  the  eulogist  of  his  illuslrious  father ;  "  and,"  to  continue  the 
authority  above  quoted,  "  impressed  the  audience  with  the  fact  that 
his  heart,  as  well  as  the  best  gifts  of  his  mind,  was  fully  enlisted  in 
the  task  he  had  set  before  him."  He  then  proceeded  to  give  an  in- 
teresting review  of  the  political  history  of  the  country  with  which 
Mr.  Seward  was  so  intimately  identified,  following  him  through  his 
active  career  in  State  and  National  affairs,  touching  meantime  upon 
some  of  the  secret  springs  which  guided  campaigns  and  influenced 
public  events,  and  referring  with  delicacy  and  judgment  to  the 
prominent  events  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Seward,  giving,  in  doing  so,  a 
kaleidoscopic  picture  of  the  past  of  rare  beauty  and  singular  com- 
pleteness. 

In  person,  Mr.  Adams  is  rather  below  than  above  the  middle 
height  His  figure,  as  he  advances  in  life,  tends  somewhat  to  full- 
ness, as  did  that  of  his  father  and  grandfather.  His  head  and 
features  are  strongly  marked  with  the  family  Ukeness,  and  express 

the  vigor,  decision,  and  repose  of  his  mind  and  character. 

26 


.^L^^  ^^^^^^^p^ 
^       ^/^^. 


ETHAN    ALLEN. 

By  William  Ij.  Stone. 


THAN  ALLEN,  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch, 
was  born  in  Monmouth  County,  New  Jersey,  upon 
the  beautiful  banks  of  the  Manasquan,  on  the  12th 
day  of  May,  1832,  and  amid  its  scenery  spent  the  boy- 
hood of  his  life.  For  fishing,  fowling,  sailing,  skating, 
and  other  aquatic  spoits  this  picturesque  river  afforded 
u^nequaled  opportunities ;  and  no  one,  except  the  "  Giver  of 
all  good,"  knows  how  great  an  influence  such  rural  childhood 
life  exerts  in  moulding  the  coming  man.  His  great  grandfather, 
a  descendant  of  one  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  removed  to  this 
place  from  Long  Island  about  the  year  1750.  The  grandfather, 
Samuel  Allen,  was  a  patriot  in  the  war  of  the  American  Revolution, 
and  commanded  the  "  Minute  Men,"  whose  duty  it  was  to  guard  the 
coast  from  Sandy  Hook  to  Cape  May  against  the  common  enemy ; 
and  his  daring  exploits  during  that  contest  would  furnish  much 
material  for  a  thrilling  history.  Upon  the  close  of  the  war  he  set- 
tled down  to  the  quiet  routine  of  a  country  farmer,  and  became  one 
of  the  largest  landed  proprietors  of  the  State,  his  possessions  com- 
prising nearly  the  entire  northern  shore  of  the  river  referred  to. 

Samuel  F.  Allen,  the  father  of  Ethan,  who  is  yet  living  being  one 
of  many  children  born  and  reared  within  the  old  homestead,  served 
in  the  War  of  1812  as  a  captain  in  the  military  service,  in  whicli 
capacity  he  discharged  the  same  duties  as  faithfully  as  his  father  had 
done  before  him.  Devoting  himself  in  early  life  to  public  affairs  to 
the  neglect  of  his  personal  interests,  and  dispensing  favors  with  a 
too  liberal  hand,  he  at  length  became  so  much  embarrassed  as  to  be 
obliged  to  sell  all  that  remained  to  him  in  New  Jersey,  and,  with  a 
large  famUy  of  children,  move  to  New  York  City,  in  the  year 
1845. 

Ethan  was  not  much  over  twelve  yeai-s  of  age  when,  withwonder- 

27 


ETHAN     ALLEN. 

ing  gaze,  he  first  walked  through  the  streets  of  the  City  of  New  York, 
finding  at  every  step  new  cause  for  astonishment.  It  was,  however, 
only  in  externals  that  the  country  boy  showed  inexperience.  From 
infancy  he  had  attended  school,  and  already  he  was  well  grounded  in 
the  rudiments  of  knowledge.  In  debate,  especially,  he  had  early  given 
evidence  of  coming  proficiency ;  and  it  is  still  remembered  that  in 
the  meetings  of  the  Debating  Society,  which  were  held  in  the  old 
country  School-house,  usually  oiie  night  in  each  week  during  the 
winter,  this  youth  (not  yet  in  bis  teens)  would  stand  up  with  the 
Schoolmaster,  Doctor,  and  other  magnates  of  the  place,  and  discuss, 
with  as  much  zeal  and  learning  as  the  best  of  them,  whether  "  Bru- 
tus was  a  patriot,"  or  whether  "  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  was  an  angel 
or  a  fiend." 

Upon  his  arrival  in  the  metropolis,  he  at  once  re-entered  school, 
taking  from  the  first  high  rank,  and  graduating  at  the  expiration  of 
two  years,  in  the  company  of  some  whose  names  have  since  become 
of  national  prominence.  Leaving  school,  young  Allen  was  invited 
by  tlie  late  Mahlon  Day,  the  venerable  Quaker,  whom  all  New  York 
then  knew,  and  whose  subsequent  loss  on  ihe  steamer  Arctic,  in  the 
year  1854,  was  generally  mourned,  to  enter  his  book  store,  in  Pearl 
street  Elated  with  the  thought  of  beginning  business,  the  boy 
joyfully  accepted  the  invitation  ;  but,  after  one  year's  expei-ieuce,  he 
decided  that  his  /o7-le  did  not  lie  in  making  and  selling  books,  and 
therefore  he  resolved  to  study  law.  He  entered  the  ofiice  of  the  late 
Hon.  Elijah  Paine,  with  whom  he  remained  till  that  gentleman  was 
elected  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court  of  the  City  of  New  York. 
Young  Allen,  however,  continued  his  studies  in  the  New  York 
Law  Institute,  where  he  remained  some  little  time.  A  digres- 
sion was  here  temporarily  made  fi-om  the  com-se  in  life  which  he 
had  marked  out  for  himself,  and  an  engagement  was  accepted 
upon  The  New  York  Herald,  an  engagement  that  lasted  for  two 
years,  when  Allen  withdrew  from  "  newspaper  life "  to  enter 
college ;  and  here  a  characteristic  incident  may  be  mentioned.  By 
the  manager  of  the  Herald,  Allen  was  at  once  assigned  to  "Washing- 
ton as  its  correspondent,  at  a  time  just  following  the  inauguration 
of  President  Pierce.  Thither  he  went,  bearing  with  him  of  course 
his  proper  credentials,  and  also  letters  of  introduction  to  the  leading 
men  of  the  nation.  Among  other  letters  was  one  to  Mr.  Asbury 
Dickens,  at  that  time   Clerk  of  the   Senate,  and  who  was  justly 

esteemed  by  all  for  the  purity  of  Ids  character,  preserved  through 

■    28 


ETHAN     ALLEN. 

nearly  half  a  century  of  official  life.  Mr.  Dickens  read  the  letter, 
and  looking  at  Allen,  who  had  not  then  reached  his  majority,  and 
whose  appearance  was  very  youthful,  said,  pleasantly  :  "  Tell  Mr. 
Allen  to  come  and  see  me,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  afford  him  any 
proper  facility."  "  I  am  Mr.  Allen,"  was  the  reply.  "  You  !"  said 
Mr.  Dickens,  in  astonishment — impossible  I  The  Herald  made,  and 
is  the  tongue  of  this  Administration.  Mr.  Bennett  certainly  would 
not  send  a  boy  to  represent  a  paper  so  powerful."  "  The  manager 
of  the  Herald  generally  understands  his  business,"  was  the  quiet 
answer ;  and  a  service  of  two  years  in  the  position  of  correspondent 
condrmed  the  good  judgment  evinced  in  the  selection. 

As  soon  as  he  was  properly  prepared  for  college,  Allen  termi- 
nated his  connection  with  the  newspaper  press,  and  entered  the 
Freshman  Class  of  Brown  University  in  1856.  In  his  collegiate 
course  that  personal  popularity,  which  seems  inseparable  to  him, 
was  conspicuous.  He  was  elected  president  of  his  class  organization 
shortly  after  matriculation,  and  in  the  Senior  year  delivered  the 
class  oration,  usually  regarded  as  a  high  collegiate  honor. 

While  in  college  he  was  eminently  distinguished  for  his  gentle- 
manly treatment  of  his  fellow  students.  He  was  fond  of  all  manly 
sports  ;  and  while  loving  a  good  joke — even  a  practical  one — would 
never  descend  to  any  meanness  or  unkindness  to  effect  it.  He  was, 
I  think,  always  loyal  to  bis  professors,  though  this  was  shown 
rather  in  a  quiet  influence  among  his  comrades  than  in  any  active 
demonstrations. 

The  last  year  that  he  was  in  college  he  made  very  great  efforts 
to  awaken  a  martial  spirit,  believing  that  it  would  be  an  excellent 
thing  for  the  physique  of  the  students.  For  the  accomplishment  of 
this  end,  he  labored  for  a  long  while  unceasingly,  neglecting  some- 
what perhaps,  his  collegiate  studies.  Finally,  he,  together  with 
Livingston  Satterlee,  Charles  P.  Williams,  Charles  L.  Kneass  (the 
latter  of  whom  is  since  dead),  and  the  writer,  interested  a  sufficient 
number  of  students  to  authorize  the  formation  of  a  military  com- 
pany. Kneass  was  our  Captain,  and  Allen  and  Satterlee  our  Lieu- 
tenants. A  lot  of  broom-handles,  picked  up  on  the  college  cam- 
pus and  in  various  rooms,  supplied  the  place  of  muskets  ;  and  thus 
equipped,  juniors,  as  well  as  "  grave  and  reverend  seniors,"  for  four 
months  spent  the  time,  usually  devoted  to  foot-ball,  in  the  drill, 
unmindful  of  the  playful  sneers  of  our  fellow-students.     Had  Allen 

remained  through  his  entire  course,  it  was  the  intentioi)  of  himself 

29 


ETHAN     ALLEN. 

and  his  intimate  friend  and  secret-society  brother  Kneass,  to  lay 
before  the  Faculty  of  "  Brown  "  the  desirableness  of  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  study  of  military  tactics  as  a  part  of  the  regular  college 
curriculum.  Events,  however,  have  since  demonstrated  that,  in  this 
particular,  they  were  only  in  advance  of  their  age. 

Before  entering  college  Mr.  Allen  had  made  some  reputation  as  a 
public  speaker  ;  and  the  excitement  of  the  canvass  between  Fremont 
and  Buchanan  being  at  its  highest  while  he  was  a  freshman,  the  dif- 
ferent classes  were  all  thrown  into  great  astonishment,  when  one 
morning  a  delegation  of  prominent  citizens  waited  upon  Freshman 
Allen,  and  requested  him  to  address  a  mass  meeting  that  evening  ia 
the  Public  square  in  favor  of  Fremont's  election.  The  invitation 
was  accepted ;  and  that  night,  in  company  with  a  distinguished 
United  States  senator,  young  Allen  called  forth  rounds  of  applause, 
in  which  all  the  classes  of  the  college — and  they  were  all  present — 
joined.  The  next  day  President  Wayland  had  an  interview  with 
Allen,  and,  while  fully  appreciating  his  talent,  requested  that  no 
more  such  invitations  should  be  accepted,  as  it  disturbed  the  quiet 
of  collegiate  life.  Mr.  Allen  left  college  in  1859,  a  year  before  gra- 
duating, taking  the  studies  of  the  Junior  and  the  Senior  years  at  the 
same  time,  but  returned  and  graduated  with  his  class  in  1860.  Mean- 
while he  had  entered  the  University  Law  "School,  in  the  City  of  New 
York,  in  1859,  and  had  delivered  the  valedictory  of  his  class. 
Shortly  after  he  was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  the  law  by  an  order 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  in  May,  1860. 

The  bitter  political  and  sectional  controversy  was  now  opening 
between  the  North  and  the  South,  represented  by  the  respective 
candidates  for  the  Presidency  ;  and  Mr.  Allen,  with  all  the  ardor  of 
an  enthusiast,  threw  himself  into  the  contest  in  favor  of  Abraham 
Lincoln.  Allen  labored  from  a  sense  of  duty,  and  not  from  the 
desire  of  gain,  regarding  it  as  a  sacred  duty,  second  to  none,  for 
every  citizen  to  interest  himself  zealously  in  public  affairs.  And 
here  it  may  be  stated,  that  through  all  his  life  he  has  steadily  refused 
to  join  local  political  clubs  and  ward  associations,  for  the  reason  that 
such  bodies,  in  his  j  udgment,  are  too  often  the  mere  agencies  by 
which  dishonest  place-seeking  aspirants  are  enabled  to  secure  noto- 
riety. "  The  public  good,  regardless  of  self-interest,"  most  nearly 
expresses  the  rule  by  which  Mr.  Allen  has  guided  his  steps. 
Throughout  New  York  and  the  adjoining  States  his  voice  was  heard 
most  etfectively  upon  the  stump  during  this  canvass. 

30 


ETHAN     ALLEK. 


In   April,    1861,    the    Hon.    E.    Delafield    Smith,  the    newly- 
appointed  United  States  District  Attorney  for  the  Southern  District 
of  New  York,  under  the  incoming  Lincoln  Administration,  invited 
Mr.  Allen  to  fill  the  place  of  Chief  Assistant— a  position  which  was 
accepted.     Entering  heartily  into  the  trial  of  causes,  he  participated 
in  some  of  the  most  important  of  that  time.     Perhaps  no  official 
ever  secured  by  his  conduct  a  greater  popularity.      Always  gen- 
erous and  frank  in  his  dealings,  entirely  honest,  firm  and  courageous 
in  the  discharge  of  every  official  duty,  courteous  to  every  one,  yet 
above  all,  specially  distinguished  by  a  perfect  impartiality,  which 
granted  to  the  most  poverty-stricken  suitor  the  same  favor  that  was 
extended  to  the  richest  or  most  powerful,  he  secured  by  these  charac- 
teristics general  praise.    The  war  for  the  National  existence,  by  the  dis- 
aster of  the  year  1862,  seeming  to  demand  the  help  of  every  patriot, 
Mr.  Allen,  in  August  of  that  year,  resigned  his  position  of  Assistant 
District  Attorney,  in  order  to  enter  the  army.     His  four  brothers 
were  already  in  the  field.     From  Washington  City  he  forwarded  hia 
resignation  to  Mr.  Smith — not  knowing  that  his  colleague,  the  Hon. 
Stewart  L.  Woodford,  had  also  resigned  a  similar  position  the  day 
previous  with  the  same  intent,  and  that  his  (Woodford's)  resignation 
had  been  accepted.     Mr.  Smith,  unwilling  to  lose  the  services  at  the 
same  time  of  both  of  his  assistants,  refused  to  allow  Mr.  Allen  to 
withdraw.     Eesolved.  however,  to  contribute  what  he  could  to  aid  the 
National  cause,  Mr.  Allen  then  applied  to  the  Governor  of  the  State  for 
authority  to  raise  a  regiment.    Having  obtained  this,  he  threw  himself 
heartily  into  the  work  at  such  times  as  he  could  spare  from  his  offi- 
cial duties,  and  with  such  eSect  that  he  presently  recruited  over 
thirteen  hundred  men,  who  afterwards  rendered  efficient  service  in 
the  field.     These  men,  moreover,  were  secured  at  a  time  when  volun- 
tary enlistments  were  relied  upon,  and  before  bounties  were  offered — 
a  circumstance  which  made  success  much  more  difficult  than  after- 
wards.    Nor  were  Mr.  Allen-'s  efforts  for  the  country  confined  to  rais- 
ing troops.    On  the  Eostrum  his  voice  was  heard  in  the  same  cause.    At 
the  gi-eat  "  Uprising  "  of  the  citizens  of  New  York,  in  Union  Square, 
which  followed  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1861, 
Mr.  Allen  participated.     He  was  also  the  first  speaker  at  the  stand 
over  which  the  Hon.  Hamilton  Fish  presided,  at  the  "  Grand  mass 
meeting  to  sustain  the  Nation,"  held  at  the  same  place  July  15th, 
1862.     Afterwards  at  the  "  Anniversary  of  the  Grand  Uprising  of 
our  Citizens,"  held  in  Madison  square,  on  the  20th  day  of  April, 


31 


ETHAN    ALLEN. 

1863,  when  Winfield  Scott  presided— he  spoke  from  the  same  stand 
together  with  John  Van  Buren  and  other  prominent  citizens.  Elo- 
quent as  he  always  is,  he  was  particularly  so  on  these  occasions. 

In  1865  Mr.  Allen  again  publicly  espoused  the  election  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  was  among  those  who  contributed  essen- 
tially to  his  success.  At  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  second 
administration,  the  Hon.  Daniel  S.  Dickinson  having  been  named  as 
United  States  District  Attorney,  in  place  of  the  Hon.  E.  Delafield 
Smith,  whose  term  of  office  had  expired,  one  of  Mr.  Dickinson's  first 
acts  was  to  invite  Mr.  Allen  to  remain  with  him  as  one  of  his  As- 
sistants. Between  Mr.  Dickinson  and  Mr.  Allen  the  strongest  attach- 
ment was  at  once  formed.  It  is  the  delight  of  Mr.  Allen  to  speak 
of  him  as  one  of  the  purest  public  men  he  ever  knew.  Patriotic  in 
every  act,  and  honest  in  every  thought,  it  was  but  natural  that  such 
a  character  should  secure — as  it  did — the  entire  admiration,  loyalty 
and  devotion  of  one  who  saw  in  Mr.  Dickinson  his  ideal  of  what  a 
public  official  should  be.  Mr.  Dickinson  dying  suddenly  in  1866, 
his  son-in-law,  Hon.  S.  G.  Courtney,  was  named  his  successor  by 
President  Johnson— an  appointment  which  was  partly  influenced  by 
Mr.  Allen,  from  the  affection  that  he  cherished  for  his  deceased 
friend.  The  disinterestedness  of  this  conduct,  moreover,  becomes 
the  more  striking  when  it  is  remembered  that  in  the  judgment  of  many 
Allen  was  himself  in  the  line  of  promotion,  his  services  and  expe- 
rience, it  was  thought,  entitling  him  to  the  honor  of  the  appointment 
of  District  Attorney,  which  many  powerful  friends  stood  ready  to 
secure.  It  was  announced,  however,  to  Mr.  Allen  on .  the  day  that 
Mr.  Dickinson  died,  that  his  last  expressed  wish  was  that  Mr.  Court- 
ney should  succeed  him,  and  in  response  to  such  wish  Mr.  Allen, 
that  very  day,  telegraphed  to  friends  in  "Washington  positively  for- 
bidding the  use  of  his  name  for  the  vacant  office,  and  urging  the 
name  of  Mr.  Courtney.  After  Mr.  Courtney's  appointment,  Allen 
continued  with  him  as  Assistant. 

In  the  Presidential  contest  of  1868  he  again  entered  the  lists, 
and,  with  his  usual  zeal,  advocated  the  election  of  General  Grant 
Some  of  his  speeches  were  used  as  campaign  documents,  and  circu- 
lated by  thousands  throughout  the  country.  Upon  the  inauguration 
of  General  Grant,  Mr.  Allen  became  an  applicant  for  the  place  of 
United  States  Attorney  (the  only  time  he  ever  was  an  aspirant  for 
office),  and  being  defeated  by  Judge  Edwards  Pierrepont,  in  April, 

32 


ETHAN     ALLEN. 

1869,  he  forthwith  resigned  his  place  as  Assistant,  and  returned  to 
the  practice  of  his  profession. 

Since  the  day  of  his  retirement  from  public  service,  perhaps  no 
man  of  his  years  has  been  more  successful.  Business  of  the  most 
lucrative  character  forthwith  poured  in  upon  him,  and  he  found  himself 
rapidly  becoming  financially  independent.  On  returning  to  private  life 
in  1869,  he  firmly  determined  that  if  he  ever  again  accepted  public 
ofiice,  it  would  not  be  until  he  was  willing  to  retire  entirely  from  his 
profession — a  rule  to  which  he  has  thus  far  strictly  adhered.  In 
1870  he  was  tendered  the  nomination  for  Congress  in  the  City  of 
New  York,  but  declined  in  a  letter  dated  October  24,  1870,  made 
public  at  the  time,  from  which  the  following  extract  is  taken :  "  As 
I  have  long  since  resolved  that  I  would  accept  of  no  official  posi- 
tion, I  must,  in  accordance  with  such  resolution,  decline  the  nomina- 
tion tendered."  Many  other  public  nominations  to  office  and  offers 
of  appointment  have  been  in  like  manner  refused. 

In  the  Spring  of  1870,  Mr.  Allen,  impressed  with  the  heroic 
efforts  made  in  behalf  of  the  independence  of  Cuba,  at  once  enlisted 
in  her  cause.  He  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  "  Cuban  League 
of  American  Citizens,"  and  was  the  author  of  the  resolution  of  organ- 
ization upon  which  the  whole  structure  rested,  and  the  object  of 
which  was  "to  so  arouse  public  sympathy  by  mass  meetings,  etc., 
that  the  rights  of  belligerents  should  be  secured  to  the  Cuban 
patriots."  In  March,  1870,  he  prepared  and  issued  the  "address" 
of  the  League  to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  which  exerted  a 
marked  influence  upon  the  nation,  and  which  has  since  been  repub- 
lished in  nearly  every  language.  An  active  promoter  of  the  grand 
mass  meeting  of  the  League  held  in  April,  1870,  in  the  Cooper  Insti- 
tute, Mr.  Allen  was  selected  to  di-aft  the  resolutions  expressive  of  the 
sense  of  that  meeting.  In  connection  with  this  duty  an  incident 
may  be  mentioned  which  aptly  illustrates  the  character  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biography.  At  this  time  the  policy  of  securing  St. 
Domingo  as  a  part  of  the  national  territory  was  exciting  pub- 
lic attention,  and  this  was  supposed  to  be  a  matter  dear  to  the  heart 
of  the  President  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Allen  was  approached 
with  a  request  that  in  his  resolutions  he  would  incorporate  one  favor- 
ing the  acquisition  of  St.  Domingo,  so  that  its  endorsement  by  the 
people  might  aid  the  scheme,  but  this  Allen  positively  refused  to  do. 
The  help  of  others  in  the  "  League  "  was  then  secured  in  an  attempt 

to  oveiTule  his  refusal ;  but  he  would  not  be  overruled,  nor  brook  any 

33 


ETHAN     ALLEN. 

interference.     It  was  then  that  some  officials  and  officers  of  the  army 
of  exalted  rank,  using  the  name  of  General  Grant,  said  that  it  would 
be  particularly  acceptable  to  him  (the  President)  if  such  a  resolution 
as  suggested  was  drafted,  and  the  promise  of  personal  favor  was  in- 
dicated if  the  request  was  acceded  to.     Thoroughly  indignant,  Mr, 
Allen  at  length  said :  "  You  may  say  to  General  Grant  from  me, 
that  were  his  power  as  President  a  thousand  times  increased,  and 
were  it  all  at  my  disposal.  T  would  never  consent  to  any  resolution 
in  regard  to  St.  Domingo  being  read."     This  ended  the  matter,  and 
it  is  needless  to  add  that  no  resolution  was  prepared  on  St.  Domingo. 
Subsequent  to  the  mass  meeting  Mr.  Allen  satisfied  himself  that  the 
President's  name  was  used  without  his  knowledge  or  authority,  but 
doubtless  was  thus  referred  to  without  warrant  to  advance  personal 
schemes.    At  this  very  time  Mr.  Allen  was  personally  in  favor  of  the 
acquisition  of  St.  Domingo,  as  he  has  ever  been,  but  his  sense  of 
honesty  revolted  at  the  idea  of  loading  down  with  this  proposition  an 
effisrt  in  behalf  of  the  straggling  Cuban  patriots.     He  regarded  it 
as  a  treacherous  betrayal  of  a  trust  to  use  the  Cuban  cause  to  advance 
any  other  measures,  and,  of  all  men  in  the  world,  he  was  the  least 
likely  to  accede  to  it. 

In  the  Presidential  canvass  of  1872  Mr.  Allen  advocated  the 
claims  of  Horace  Greeley.  His  natural  impulses  could  not  have 
directed  him  otherwise.  He  regarded  Mr.  Greeley  as  a  giant  in  all 
intellectual  endowments,  and  almost  without  a  compeer  in  moral 
purity  among  our  public  men.  At  the  convention  of  Liberal  Ke- 
publicans  in  Cincinnati,  he  was  very  active  in  securing  Mr.  Greeley's 
nomination,  and  after  this  event  he  was  chosen  as  the  "  chairman  of 
the  National  Committee  "  of  the  party,  making  liim  practically  the 
leader  of  the  movement — the  youngest  man  perhaps  upon  whom  a 
similar  distinction  was  ever  bestowed.  If  zeal,  hard  labor,  untiring 
watchfulness  could  have  commanded  success,  Mr.  Allen  would  have 
saved  Mr.  Greeley  from  defeat.  Devoted  to  the  Liberal  Republican 
candidate  by  a  personal  attachment  that  was  heightened  by  an 
admiration  for  the  character  of  this  truly  great  man,  he  never  tired 
in  his  servica  Unable,  however,  to  descend  to  the  ignoble  means 
which  generally  degrade  political  contests,  Mr.  Allen,  early  in  the 
campaign,  issued  a  circular  letter  with  a  view  to  suppress  the  gross 
personalities  which  he  foresaw,  but  which  he  had  not  the  power  to 
prevent     His  ringing  address  to  the  citizens  of  the  United  States, 

after  the  flagrant  frauds  of  the  October  elections  in  Pennsylvania,  in 

34 


ETHAN     ALLEN. 

condemnation  of  such  corruption  and  its  necessary  result  to  the 
nation  if  unrestrained,  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  papers  put 
forth  by  either  party. 

In  August,  1861,  Mr.  Allen  was  married  to  Eliza,  daughter  of 
the  late  Darms  Clagett,  of  Washington  City,  and  who  died,  the  year 
previous  to  his  daughter's  wedding,  at  "  Pomona,"  D.  C,  his  country 
residence,  venerated  and  esteemed  as  the  City's  most  philanthropic 
and  enterprising  citizen. 

Phrenology  has  long  since  been  regarded  as  a  science  beyond 
cavil.  The  correctness  with  which  it  generally  delineates  character 
can  only  be  explained  by  the  admission  that  it  has  truth  for  its 
basis.  The  Phrenological  Journal,  for  September,  1872,  published 
an  outline  of  Mr.  Allen's  life,  from  which  we  make  the  following 
extract.  By  it  the  reader  may  judge  how  faithfully,  in  this  instance,  at 
least.  Phrenology  describes  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch.    It  says : 

"  Though  not  large,  Mr.  Allen  has  a  striking  presence.  The  head  is  high,  and 
the  moral  sentiments  are  well  developed.  There  is  large  Benevolence,  Conscien. 
tiousneas.  Veneration  and  Hope.  Spirituality  is  not  wanting,  but  is  subordinate  to 
the  intellect,  which  is  prominent.  He  has  a  compact  and  wiry  organization.  He 
is  full  of  energy,  positiveness  and  persistency.  He  is  organized  to  be  healthy,  and 
is  capable  of  accomplishing  a  great  deal  of  work  through  his  mental  activity  and 
physical  endurance.  Few  men  are  so  sharp,  intense,  and  so  earnest,  and  few  have 
as  much  persistent  endurance  and  elasticity.  He  is  a  man  of  decision  and  of  deter- 
mination. He  is  firm  almost  to  obstinacy;  he  is  self-reliant,  generally  measures 
his  own  strength  and  duties,  and  proceeds  without  waiting  for  help.  He  loves  his 
liberty  and  will  defend  it,  but  is  just  and  considerate  of  the  rights  of  others.  He 
is  sociable,  friendly,  kindly,  neighborly.  He  aims  high,  is  aspiring,  but  not  self- 
ishly ambitious.  He  is  willing  to  earn  the  right  to  promotion,  and,  his  habits  being 
good,  he  will  inevitably  work  his  way  up,  either  in  Law,  Legislation  or  Literature. 
We  predict  favorably  of  his  future. " 

As  a  lawyer,  Mr.  Allen  takes  high  rank.  He  has  conducted 
some  of  the  most  important  cases  before  the  courts,  and  won  them. 
He  tries  a  case  closely,  is  a  good  advocate,  a  sound  reasoner,"  and  ex- 
erts much  influence  before  a  jury.  As  his  history  indicates,  his 
leading  characteristic  is  a  keen  love  of  justice,  truth  and  right,  and 
he  unflinchingly  does  what  he  deems  to  be  his  duty,  regardless  of 
consequences.  He  is  manly  and  outspoken  in  his  relations  with 
others,  while  his  frank  nature  commands  the  friendship  of  all.  His 
reputation  is  without  a  blemish.  Throughout  his  whole  ofiicial 
career,  he  never  gave  even  cause  for  censure.  He  is,  in  fact,  the 
true  t^'pe  of  a  Reform  leader — honest,  courageous,  unselfish — and, 
like  his  Puritan  ancestor,  he  would  dare  all  and  sufier  all  for  princi- 
ple and  the  right. 

35 


JAMES   ALDEN, 


^EAE-ADMIRAL  JAMES  ALDEN,  who  recently  left 
this  country  to  take  command  of  the  European  Squad- 
ron of  United  States  war-vessels,  is  a  brilliant  repre- 
sentative of  the  American  Navy,  and  has  probably  seen 
more  active  service  and  hard  fighting  than  any  other  of- 
ficer of  his  grade.  He  was  bom  in  Maine,  and  appointed 
Midshipman  from  that  State  on  April  1,  1828.  During  the 
three  years  succeeding  he  was  attached  to  the  Naval  station 
at  Boston,  Mass.,  and  entered  in  1832  upon  active  sea  service  in  the 
sloop-of-war  John  Adams,  of  the  Mediterranean  Sqaudron.  On  the 
lith  of  June,  1834,  he  was  promoted  to  Passed  Midshipman ;  and  a 
few  months  later  was  ordered  to  the  Navy  Yard,  at  Boston.  He  was 
on  duty  on  an  exploring  expedition  from  1839  to  1842,  and  while 
absent  received  the  commission  of  Lieutenant. 

During  the  Mexican  War,  Lieutenant  Alden  was  attached  to  the 
Home  Squadron,  and  participated  in  the  engagements  at  Vera  Cruz, 
Tuspan  and  Tobasco.  From  1848  to  1860  he  was  on  coast  survey 
duty,  receiving  on  the  14th  of  September,  1855,  his  commission  as 
Commander. 

The  opening  of  the  Great  American  Conflict  found  him  in  com- 
mand of  the  steamer  South  Ca/-oZ»ia,  blockadmg  the  port  of  Galveston. 
On  the  3d  of  August,  1861,  one  of  the  tenders  of  the  South  Carolina, 
while  returning  fi-om  a  cruise  to  the  southward,  was  fir.d  upon  from 
two  Confederate  batteries.  The  fire  was  returned  vigorously,  and  the 
fact  being  communicated  to  the  commander,  he  took  measures  to  ascer- 
tain the  cause  of  the  action.  No  explanation  coming  from  the  au- 
thorities. Commander  Alden  prepared  his  vessel  for  a  fight,  and  in  the 
afternoon  steamed  toward  the  batteries.  The  General  Rush,  a  large 
ocean  steamer  which  had  long  been  preparing  for  sea,  undertook  to 
escape,  but  Commander  Alden  giving  chase,  she  was  compelled  to 
retreat.     Shortly  after,  she  made  a  second  attempt,  but  this  was  also 


37 


JAMES     ALDEN. 

unsuccessful.  The  Smth  Carolina  then  stood  direct  for  the  batteries, 
and  in  a  few  moments  wa?  in  the  midst  of  a  heavy  fire,  which  was 
maintained  until  her  commander,  fearing  he  was  inflicting  greater 
injury  on  the  city,  and  perhaps  on  unoffending  citizens,  than  the  bat- 
teries, or  those  who  sought  the  collision,  withdrew  his  ship. 

During  the  passages  of  Forts  Jackson  and  St.  Philip,  April  24:th, 
1862,  Commander  Alden  was  in  charge  of  the  steam  sloop  Richmond, 
and  handled  his  ship  with  great  skill  at  that  important  time.  He 
also  made  two  passages  of  the  Vicksburg  batteries,  in  April,  1863. 
In  Jiinuary,  1864,  he  received  his  commission  as  Captain.  The 
memorable  engagement  with  Forts  Morgan  and  Gaines,  and  a  number 
of  Confederate  gunboats  in  Mobile  Bay,  August  5th,  186-4,  found 
Captain  Alden  in  command  of  the  steam  sloop  Brooklyn,  that  vessel 
having,  at  the  earnest  request  of  the  captains  and  commanding  of- 
ficers of  the  fleet,  been  designated  by  Ren-- Admiral  Farragut  as  the 
leading  ship  of  the  line.  The  Brooklyn  was  particularly  fitted  for 
this  advanced  position,  as  she  had  four  chase  guns  and  an  ingenious 
arrangement  for  picking  up  torpedoes.  Fort  Morgan  opened  the  ball 
by  firing  on  the  Brooklyn,  which  was  instantly  returned,  and  the  ac- 
tion immediately  became  general.  Captain  Alden  also  commanded 
the  Brooklyn  in  the  two  attacks  on  Fort  Fisher,  after  which,  it  will 
be  remembere  1,  Congress  voted  thanks  to  Rear-Adrairal  Porter,  his 
ofl&cers  and  men,  for  their  gallant  conduct  on  that  occasion. 

His  commission  of  Commodore  was  issued  July  2oth,  1866.  Dur- 
ing the  two  following  years  he  was  in  command  of  the  steam  frigate 
Minnesota,  engaged  on  special  service.  In  April,  1869,  Commodore 
Aldeu  was  appointed  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Navigation  and  Detail, 
Navy  Department,  and  resigned  his  position  a  few  months  ago,  on 
being  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Rear- Admiral,  and  receiving  orders  to 
take  command  of  the  Europeon  Squadron  of  United  States  vessels. 

During  his  long  term  of  service.  Rear-Admiral  Alden  has  spent 
twenty-six  years  at  sea,  engaged  for  the  most  part  on  important  pub- 
lic duty.  He  is  an  accomplished  gentleman  and  a  fine  model  of  the 
American  fighting  sailor.  Tall,  commanding  in  presence,  experi- 
enced in  his  profession,  courteous  to  all,  he  is  well  and  ably  qualified 
to  represent  our  Navy  in  foreign  waters. 

3a 


WILLIAM   ALVORD 


HE  name  of  Mr.  Alvord  has  long  been  familiar  in 
business  and  social  circles  as  the  head  of  a  well 
xTb^  known  mercantile  house  in  California  and  New  York, 
;^^j  and  has  become  especially  prominent  since  his  election, 
f^  in  1871,  to  the  Mayoralty  of  San  Francisco,  in  which 
honorable  station  he  continues  at  the  present  writing. 
During  this  term  he  has  devoted  hims:lf  so  earnestly  to  the 
public  duties  incumbent  upon  him  that  in  the  fulfillment  of  them  the 
merchant  seems  to  have  been  transformed  into  the  otficial ;  his  time 
being  given  almost  exclusively  to  muncipal  affairs,  which,  in  variety 
and  extent,  have  increased  even  more  than  in  proportion  to  the 
growth  of  the  gi-eat  city  of  the  Pacific  coast 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  bom  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  in  1833, 
and  graduated  at  the  Academy  there,  in  1850,  under  Dr.  Beck, 
taking,  on  that  occasion,  the  prize  medals  as  the  best  scholar  in  math- 
ematics and  natural  philosophy — mementoes  which  sei-ve  to  keep 
fresh,  recollections  of  an  institute  of  learning  which  was  founded  in 
1804,  and  has  prepared  for  future  usefulness  graduates  who  have 
become  eminent  in  the  learned  professions,  politics,  and  literatura 
As  a  token  of  the  regard  in  which  he  holds  the  venerable  Academy, 
Mr.  Alvord,  some  years  since,  endowed  it  with  an  annual  gold  medal, 
known  as  the  "Alvord  Medal,"  for  the  highest  proficiency  in  pen- 
manship. The  taste  for  mathematics,  which  he  continues  to  cultivate, 
seems  to  be  a  distinguishing  family  trait^iis  uncle.  Gen.  Benjamin 
Alvord,  U.  S.  A.,  Paymaster  General  of  the  Army,  being  one  of  the 
most  accomplished  mathematicians  in  America. 

By  reference  to  the  genealogical  records,  it  appears  that  the 
family  of  Alvord,  or  "  Alford,"  as  it  was  formerly,  and  in  some  parts 
of  England  is  still  written,  is  of  great  antiquity.  The  first  of  the 
name  who  settled  in  America  came  from  Somerset  County,  England, 
early  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  from  these  are  descended  the 
present  Alvords  of  New  York,  New  England  and  Virginia. 


WILLIAM     ALVORD. 

Immediately  upon  his  graduatio  ;,  Mr.  Alvord,  preferring  a  busi- 
hess  to  a  professional  life,  entered  a  New  York  hardware  house, 
where  he  soon  became  chief  clerk,  and  remained  until  1853,  when  his 
failing  health,  undermined  by  a  pulmonary  complaint,  compelled  his 
removal  to  California,  where  he  settled  in  Marysville  in  the  same 
year — his  condition  requiring  an  interior  rather  than  a  sea-coast  cli- 
mate. There,  in  the  firm  of  Alvord  &  Haviland,  he  commenced 
the  hardware  business,  and  remained  until  the  summer  of  1856, 
when  he  removed  to  San  Francisco,  and  soon  after  established  the 
house  of  William  Alvord  &  Co.,  wholesale  importers  and  dealers  in 
hardware.  Having  energetically  prosecuted  this  business  for  several 
years,  his  health  again  broke  down,  and  he  sold  out  his  interest  to  his 
partner — the  firm  thereafter  and  still  being  known  as  Kichard  Patiick 
&Co. 

lu  pursuit  of  health,  as  well  as  to  gratify  a  desu-e  he  had  long 
felt  to  see  the  Old  World,  Mr.  Alvord  availed  himself  of  this  interval 
of  leisure — the  first  he  had  known  in  California— for  an  extended  tour 
in  Europe,  visiting  the  principal  capitals,  watering  places,  and  objects 
of  historical  and  artistic  interest,  and  returning  greatly  improved. 
His  withdi-awal,  however,  from  mercantile  persuits  was  by  no  means 
a  retirement  from  business.  He  identified  himself  with  a  large  manu- 
facturing interest  which  has  become  one  of  the  most  important  and 
useful  in  the  Stata  The  want  of  rolling  mills  had  for  some  time  been 
felt  in  California.  In  1866,  the  Pacific  Rolling  Mills  Company,  with 
Mr.  Alvord  as  its  President,  was  organized  in  San  Francisco,  and,  soon 
after,  while  in  the  Eastern  States,  he  purchased  the  machinery.  These 
works,  the  only  ones  of  the  kind  on  the  Pacific  coast,  cost  half  a  million 
of  dollars,  and  give  employment  to  about  two  hundred  men,  whose 
monthly  pay-roll  amounts  to  some  $10,000.  They  have  supplied  a 
part  of  the  iron  for  several  railroads,  including  the  California  Pacific, 
the  Central  Pacific,  the  Virginia  and  Truckee,  and  the  Northern 
Pacific,  as  well  as  for  railroads  in  Japan,  where  the  Company  is  ex- 
tending its  business,  besides  making  the  heavy  iron  work  for  all  the 
bridges  on  the  Western  Slope  of  the  continent,  and  maintaining  a 
forge  department  capable  of  turning  out  shafts  for  the  largest  ocean 
steamships.  These  facts  indicate  the  value  to  California  of  such  an 
establishment,  fjrming,  as  is  does,  the  key  to  so  many  industries, 
and  retaining  there,  capital  which  would  else  be  spent  in  Europe  and 
the  Atlantic  States.  This,  however,  is  only  one  of  a  number  of  busi- 
ness enterprises  with  which  Mr.  Alvord  is  associated  in  California, 
inckidiug  the  Risdon  Iron  and  Locomotive  Works,  in  which  he  is  a 

40 


WILLIAM     ALVOKD. 

stockholder  and  trustee.  He  is  an  honorary  and  life  member  of  so 
many  associatious  and  societies  that  a  mere  enumeration  of  them 
would  exhibit  a  curious  variety  of  engagements,  in  the  success  and 
usefulness  of  which  he  takes  an  active  part,  being  known,  always,  as 
a  working  member.  Among  them  are  a  number  of  religious,  literary 
and  benevolent  institutions ;  for  his  sympathies  are  ever  ealisted  in 
whatever  tends  to  advance  moral  and  intellectual  improvement,  to 
aid  the  distressed  and  alleviate  suffering. 

During  his  sojourn  in  Europe,  he  had  ample  opportunities  to  in- 
dulge his  taste  for  art  and  aesthetic  culture,  and  made  some  additions 
to  his  already  considerable  library  and  collection  of  choice  paintings. 
After  his  return  he  was  instrumental,  with  others,  in  organizing  the 
San  Francisco  Art  Association,  of  which  he  is  the  President,  its 
objects  being  "the  promotion  of  Painting,  Sculpture  and  the  Fine 
Arts  akin  thereto,  the  ditfusion  of  a  cultivated  taste  for  Art  in  the 
community  at  large,  and  the  establishment  of  an  Academy  or  School 
of  Design."  In  the  furtherance  of  these  purposes  Mr.  Alvord  earn- 
estly assists  whatever  tends  to  inci'ease  the  resources  and  usefulness 
of  the  institution ;  by  his  own  gifts  of  rare  books  for  study  and  refer- 
ence, to  serve  as  the  nucleus  for  an  art  library  ;  by  enlisting  friendly 
co-operation  wherever  practicable  at  home  and  abroad,  and  influenc- 
ing contributions  of  works  of  art  from  private  collections  containing 
gems  by  eminent  painters,  to  swell  the  attractions  of  the  quarterly 
exhibitions.  The  interest  taken  by  the  members — numbering  over 
six  hundred — to  popularize  art  in  San  Francisco,  has  produced  re- 
sults highly  encouraging ;  while  the  generous  donation  by  the  French 
Government  of  a  valuable  collection  of  casts  from  the  antique,  ensures 
success  in  the  main  object  of  the  Association — the  establishment  of  a 
School  of  Design,  and  eventually  of  making  still  higher  progress  in 
technical  and  art  education. 

A  member  of  the  Republican  party — a  cause  to  which  he  has  from 
the  first  contributed,  fijancially  and  by  his  personal  influence,  Mr. 
Alvord  has  never  taken  an  especially  active  part  in  politics,  although 
on  several  occasions  unsuccessful  efforts  have  been  made  to  secure 
his  name  for  the  Republican  and  People's  Reform  tickets.  At  the 
nominations  for  the  September  elections  in  1871,  however.  Mayor 
Selby  having  declined  to  serve  another  term,  the  conventions  of  both 
the  above  parties  united  upon  Mr.  Alvord  as  their  candidate.  He 
did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  refuse,  and  allowed  his  name  to  be  placed  at 
the  head  of  the  municipal  ticket.     The  condition  of  city  politics  at 

41 


WILLIAM     ALVORD. 

that  time,  embracing  so  many  issues,  was  such  that  the  campaign 
was  regarded  as  likely  to  be  very  closely  contested.  The  Democratic 
candidate  had  been  selected  owing  to  his  great  local  strength,  and  at 
the  closing  of  the  polls  the  friends  of  Mi-.  Alvord  believed  that  he 
was  defeated;  but  the  result  showed  a  substantial  Republican 
victory — he  having  received  thii-teen  thousand  four  hundred  and  two 
votes  out  of  twenty-four  thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety-five  cast 
for  that  office. 

In  most  cities,  the  position  of  Mayor  is  not  in  every  respect  a 
desirable  honor.  This  is  especially  so  in  San  Francisco,  where  it 
must  be  a  great  sacrifice  for  any  man  of  lai^e  business  connections 
to  assume  the  discharge  of  its  functions,  demanding  constant  watch- 
fulness and  thought,  as  an  equivalent  for  which  th  e  compensation  is 
but  trifling.  The  Mayor  is  burthened  with  an  endless  amount  of 
labor  and  responsibility,  embracing  the  several  presidencies  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors,  where  the  laws  governing  the  city  originate  ; 
the  Board  of  Health,  where  is  lodged  the  sanitary  and  quarantine  sys- 
tem of  the  city  and  harhor ;  the  Board  of  Works  involving  important 
public  improvements ;  the  Board  of  Police  Commissioners,  who  ap- 
point and  control  the  police  force ;  and  of  numerous  Commissions 
and  Committees,  embracing  the  entii-e  round  of  municipal  affairs  ; 
besides  a  special  supervision  and  examination  by  the  Mayor,  of'  the 
manner  in  which  all  public  officials  perform  their  several  duties,  and 
necessarily  requiring  a  familiarity  with  the  working  and  routine  of 
each  department  Where  the  details  of  the  office  are  so  onerous  and 
exacting,  and  its  advantages  so  inconsiderable,  the  community  may 
be  considered  fortunate  which  can  secure  in  the  incumbent  disintei-- 
ested  zeal  and  an  economical  and  energetic  administration  of  public 
affiiirs.  In  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  it  has  devolved  upon  Mayor 
Alvord  to  decide  and  act  upon  questions  of  the  gi-eatest  importance 
in  their  bearing  upon  both  State  and  local  interests.  The  youngest 
of  tlios  •  who  have  been  elevated  to  the  Mayoralty  during  the  cor- 
porate history  of  San  Francisco,  he  has  displayed  a  promptitude  and 
clearness  of  judgment  which  meets  the  fullest  anticipation  of  all 
who  knew  him  intimately  prior  to  his  election,  and  which  has  se- 
cured for  him  an  enviable  reputation  for  executive  ability.  In  his 
frank  and  manly  address  to  the  members  of  the  muncipal  govern- 
ment, upon  the  commencement  of  his  term,  he  gave  a  concise  review 
of  the  financial  and  general  condition  of  the  city,  specifying  the 
several  chief  depaitments,  and  suggesting  a  number  of  measures 

43 


WILLIAM     ALVORD. 

wLicli  he  thought  needful.  Having  expressed  his  resolve  "  to  be  and 
do  right  in  every  matter  pertaining  to  the  interests  of  the  city,"  he 
closes  as  follows : 

"  I  trust  that  in  all  our  meetings  we  shall  act  harmoniously.  A 
diversity  of  opinion  on  questions  of  great  moment  is  of  course  to  be 
expected ;  but  permit  me,  gentlemen,  to  say  that  when  you  assem- 
ble in  this  chamber,  or  meet  together  in  your  committee-rooms  to 
attend  to  3'our  official  duties,  you  should  lay  aside  all  personal  con- 
siderations and  friendships,  and  each  one  strive  to  guard  the  honor, 
as  well  as  protect  the  true  interests  of  the  whole  city." 

Hardly  had  the  new  Mayor  entered  upon  his  duties  when  sub- 
jects arose  requiinng  the  exercise  of  all  his  decision  of  character. 
Under  an^Act  of  the  Legislature,  approved  in  April,  1870,  the  city 
government  was  empowered  to  issue  bonds  to  an  amount  not  ex- 
ceeding five  per  cent  of  her  taxable  property,  in  aid  of  the  construc- 
tion of  railroads,  to  be  voted  upon  at  the  next  general  election. 
This  subsidy  question  had  become  the  all-absorbing  one  in  San 
Francisco,  and  had  been  for  some  months  hotly  discussed,  both  by 
tbe  press  and  in  business  circles.  In  September,  1872,  the  Board 
of  Supervisors,  by  a  vote  of  ten  to  two,  passed  ordinances  granting 
to  the  Southern  Pacific  and  the  Colorado  Kiver  Eailroads  respec- 
tively $2,500,000  and  $10,000,000  in  seven  per  cent  city  bonds  to 
aid  in  those  enterprises.  The  action  of  the  Mayor,  as  to  his  exer- 
cise of  the  veto  power,  was  now  awaited  with  great  interest,  and 
deputations  representing  both  sides  of  the  question  besieged  his 
ofiice  and  residence.  Mr.  Alvord,  however,  gave  no  intimation  of 
his  intention,  though  those  who  knew  him  best  could  not  have  been 
doubtful  that  he  would  be  governed  solely  by  motives  of  duty, 
regardless  of  outside  i^ressure.  At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board, 
both  subsidies  were  vetoed,  in  messages  which,  though  disappointing 
the  hopes  of  all  interested  in  the  success  of  the  measui-es,  were 
everywhere  received  as  clear  and  impartial  summaries  of  the  facts, 
and  consistent  with  justice,  both  as  regards  the  rights  of  the  city  and 
her  relations  with  those  powerful  corporations.  The  Board,  having 
sustained  the  veto  of  the  first  above-named  measure,  overruled  that 
relating  to  the  Colorado  River  Railroad,  and  passed  the  ordinance  by 
the  same  votes  that  had  originally  carried  it  The  public  mind  was 
intensely  excited — expressing  itself  both  at  popular  meetings  and 
through  the  press,  and  at  this  point  the  company  prudently  withdrew 
the  whole  matter  for  the  time  being,  preferring  to  await  a  favorable 
change  in  public  opinion.     It  was  thought  proper,  however,  by  the 


WILLIAM     ALVORP. 

legal  advisers  of  the  city,  for  greater  securit}',  to  submit  the  questioD 
at  the  then  approaching  election,  when  the  Mayor's  veto  was  endorsed 
by  fifteen  thousand  against,  to  one  hundred  and  forty -five  in  favor 
of,  the  subsidy,  out  of  a  total  of  twenty-three  thousand  votes  cast. 
Mr.  Alvord's  action  in  this  vitally  important  issue,  to  which  only 
passing  allusion  can  hei-e  be  made,  immediately  became  the  text  for 
extensive  editorial  commendation,  not  only  throughout  California, 
but  in  the  Eastern  States,  whither  the  news  was  telegraphed,  while 
congratulations,  both  written  and  verbal,  came  to  him  from  all  direc- 
tions applauding  the  act  as  tending  to  shield  the  city  from  what 
would  have  caused  a  crushing  indebtedness.  Meetings  were  called  in 
different  wards  to  the  same  effect.  At  the  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
where  a  large  assemblage  convened  on  the  night  following  the  pub- 
lication of  the  veto  message,  he  was  unanimously  tendered  the  Inde- 
pendent or  People's  nomination  to  Congress  for  the  San  Francisco 
district,  a  tribute  which  he  declined  in  a  card  over  his  own  signature, 
esteeming  it  his  first  duty,  as  he  happily  said,  to  discharge  the  obli- 
gations imposed  upon  him  by  his  election  to  the  position  he  then  filled. 

It  is  not  proposed  here  to  enter  more  fully  upon  the  merits  of  an 
issue  whereon  probably  more  has  been  written  and  said  than  upon 
any  ever  agiiated  in  California.  Many  other  instances  of  a  like  con- 
scientious zeal  and  firmness  by  Mayor  Alvord  might  be  mentioned. 
On  all  questions  connected  with  the  i-ights  and  welfare  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, his  opinion,  after  patient  investigation,  having  once  been 
formed,  he  has  not  hesitated  as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued.  This 
remark  applies  to  all  the  acts  of  his  administration  relating  to  every 
department  To  obtain  correct  information,  and  secure  practical 
efiiciency  in  these,  no  amount  of  labor  has  been  spared.  Public  con- 
fidence is  thus  habitually  ]-eposed  in  him,  creating  an  ever-widening 
sentiment  of  personal  regard  and  popular  esteem. 

The  above  brief  sketch  seems  to  convey  this  moral — that,  while 
it  has  generally  been  assumed  that  responsible  public  trusts  should 
be  filled  only  by  politicians,  as  possessing  especial  qualifications 
for  such  service,  the  counting-room  has  occasionally  been  called 
upon,  and  has  furnished,  on  important  occasions,  men  whose  acts 
have  dignified  the  office  and  reflected  honor  on  the  community. 
These  examples  show  that  the  duties  of  public  station  are  no 
exclusive  mystery,  to  be  comprehended  by  the  few,  but  that  the 
business  capacity  and  integrity  that  can  successfully  manage  a  com- 
mercial house  are  exactly  what  are  needed  to  conduct  the  affairs  of 
cities  and  States.  ^^ 


CHRISTOPHER  C.  ANDREWS. 


^J  AJOE-GENEEAL  C.  C.  ANDEEWS,  of  Minnesota, 
]l  the  present  Minister  Eesident  to  Sweden  and  Nor- 
^'XSi  way,  was  born  at  Hillsborough,  New  Hampshire, 
V;  October  27,  1829.  His  ancestors  were  among  the  early 
[^  '"^  settlers  of  Massachusetts.  His  great-grand  lather  on  his 
father's  side  was  Ammi  Andrews,  a  lieutenant  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  His  grandfather  on  his  mother's  side,  Elijah 
Beard,  emigrated  with  his  wife  from  Wilmington,  Mass.,  a  few  years 
after  the  Revolution,  and  settled  in  Hillsborough,  N.  H.,  a  mile  west 
of  the  Centre,  on  a  rocky,  forest  tract,  where  he  built  a  grist  and 
saw-mill  and  a  two-story  dwelling.  The  house  and  a  noble  elm, 
which  he  planted  in  front  of  it,  still  stand.  Elijah  Beard,  when  he 
died  at  the  age  of  iifty,  was  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature,  and 
had  been  elected  to  that  position,  annually,  for  the  six  or  seven  pre- 
vious years. 

The  parents  of  General  Andrews  were  Luther  Andrews  and 
Nabby  Beard  Andrews.  He  was  the  youngest  of  four  children,  and 
was  born  at  the  upper  village  of  Hillsborough.  His  father  owned 
and  carried  on  a  small  farm  of  about  thirty  acres  of  field  and  wood- 
land. The  dwelling  is  agreeably  situated  amidst  fi-uit  and  shade 
trees,  and  commands  an  interesting  view  of  distant  hills  and  mount- 
ains. Here  Christopher  did  the  farm  work  of  a  boy,  attending  also 
the  district  school  eight  or  ten  weeks  each  summer  and  winter,  until 
May,  1843,  being  in  his  fourteenth  year,  he  went  to  Boston,  to  work 
in  a  provision  store.  No.  9  Bromfield  street,  in  which  his  eldest  bro- 
ther was  a  proprietor.  He  received  eight  dollars  a  month  and  board, 
and  was  allowed  certain  afternoons  to  attend  a  private  school.  In 
June  of  that  year,  he  heard  or  rather  saw  Webster  deliver  his  oration 
on  the  completion  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument  In  March,  1844, 
he  was  sent  to  the  Academy  at  Francestown,  N.  H. — Harry  Brickett 

45 


CHRISTOPHER     C.     ANDREWS. 

being  the  teacher ;  remained  there  two  terms,  and  in  the  autumn  of 
the  same  year  resumed  work  with  his  former  employers  in  Boston. 
He  joined  the  Mercantile  Library  Association,  took  part  in  its  literary 
exercises,  and  attended  its  lectures.  He  heard  the  address  of  ex 
President  John  Quincy  Adams,  before  the  Clay  Club  of  Boston  in 
1844,  and  the  gi-eat  orators  who  spoke  in  Faneuil  Hall.  He  attended 
the  Francestown  Academy  the  Fall  term  of  1846,  a'  d  the  next  winter 
taught  a  district  school  in  Deering  at  $11  per  month,  "boarding 
round."  Early  in  1847,  acting  under  the  advice  of  Hon.  Samuel  H. 
Ayer,  and  with  the  assent  of  his  parents,  he  commenced  studying 
law  with  that  attorney  in  Hillsborough.  In  1848  he  attended  the  Law 
School  at  Cambridge  one  term  of  about  six  months  ;  afterwards  pur- 
sued his  studies  in  the  office  of  Brigham  and  Loring,  Boston,  and  in 
1850,  when  just  twenty-one,  was  admitted  by  the  Supreme  Court  to 
practice  in  all  the  courts  of  the  Commonwealth.  Up  to  this  time,  the 
expenses  of  his  education  had  been,  for  the  most  part,  defraj'ed  by 
his  two  elder  brothers.  He  began  immediately  the  practice  of 
law  at  Newton  Lower  Falls,  twelve  miles  from  Boston.  During  his 
residence  in  Newton,  a  town  distinguished  for  its  educators,  Horace 
Mann  and  Barnas  Sears,  he  served  two  years  on  its  Superintending 
School  Committee,  receiving  at  his  election  the  votes  of  both  politi- 
cal parties.  In  the  Spring  of  1853  he  removed  to  Boston,  opening 
an  office  at  35  Court  street,  and  in  1854  was  more  than  paying  ex- 
penses in  his  profassion ;  yet,  in  June  of  that  year,  he  removed  to 
Kansas.  Although  he  had  shared  in  the  indignant  feeling  against 
the  passage  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Act,  yet,  arrived  in  Kansas,  he 
advocated  a  faithful  execution  of  its  principle,  as  it  had  been  ex- 
plained on  its  passage  by  its  authors,  namely,  that  the  introduction 
or  exclusion  of  slavery  was  for  the  bona  fide  residents  of  the  Territory 
to  determine.  As  early  as  July,  1854,  in  a  speech  before  a  public 
meeting  at  Salt  Creek,  near  Fort  Leavenwortli,  he  declared  his  pre- 
ference that  Kansas  should  be  a  Free  State.  He  cori-esponded  gratu- 
itously with  a  number  of  Eastern  newspapers  to  encourage  Free 
State  immigration,  and  some  of  his  letters  were  extensively  copied 
by  the  Northern  press.  In  November  he  went  to  Washington  to 
further  the  interests  of  Kansas  during  the  short  session  of  Congress. 
But  the  change  of  climate  had  begun  to  affect  his  health ;  on  his 
journey  he  suffered  with  chills  and  fever,  and,  almost  immediately 
on  his  arrival  at  Washington,  was  taken  ill  with  a  severe  attack  of 

typhoid  fever.    The  expenses  of  this  sickness  and  of  his  stay  in  Kan- 

46 


CHRISTOPHER     C.     ANDREWS. 

gas  lei't  him  with  such  limited  means  that  he  felt  obliged  to  seek  em-    . 
ployment  from  the  Government.     President  Pierce,  being  a  native 
of  the  same  town  as  himself  and  acquainted  with  him,  assisted  him 
t._>  an  appointment,  after  his  recovery  the  following  March,  in  the 
Office  of  the  Solicitor  of  the  Treasury,  where  for  two  years  he  pei^ 
formed  the  duties  of  Law  Clerk  at  a  salary  of  $1400  per  annum. 
During  this  time  he  was  on  one  occasion  detailed  by  Mr.  Secretary 
Guthrte  to  take  testimony  for  the  Government  in  a  mail  contract 
case,  involving  $200,000  in  the  cities  of  Louisville,  New  Orleans, 
Cincinnati,  and  Pittsburg.     He  prepared  an  elaborate  argument  in 
the  ease,  which  was  adopted  and  signed  by  the  Postmaster  General 
Meantime,  the  troubles  in  Kansas  had  been  at  their  height,  and  An- 
drews was  known  in  Washington  as  a  zealous  defender  of  the  Free 
State  party.     He  addressed  an  earnest  recommendation  to  the  Presi- 
dent to  send  an  impartial  Commissioner  to  Kansas  to  report  as  to 
the  condition  of  affairs.    Walter  HaiTiman  was  sent  on  such  a  mis- 
sion, and  made  a  report  favorable  to  the  Free  State  settlers.     On 
many  accounts  Mr.  Andrews  would  have  been  glad  to  have  returned 
to  Kansas.     He  could  not  have  done  so  to  his  satisfaction  without 
mingling  in  its  politics,  then  so  turbulent,  which  would  have  involved 
a  neglect  of  the  business  he  was  dependent  upon  for  support.     He, 
therefore,  determined  to  locate  in  Minnesota,  and  in  the  spring  of 
■   1857  resigned  his  place  in  the  Treasury  Department  and  settled  at 

St  Cloud. 

When  the  question  of  the  Lecompton  Constitution  for  Kansas 
came  up  (1858)  Mr.  Andrews  took  earnest  ground  against  the  course 
of  Buchanan's  Administration  in  respect  to  it.  In  1859  he  was 
elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket  to  the  State  Senate  of  Minnesota  for 
a  term  of  two  years.  In  1860  his  name  was  placed  at  the  head  of 
the  Douglas-Democratic  electoral  ticket,  and  he  took  an  active  part 
in  the  canvass.  In  the  summer  of  1861  he  was  nominated  for  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  by  a  Union  Convention,  but  the  ticket  was  soon 
withdrawn,  and  the  party  merged  with  the  Republicans.  He  assisted 
in  bringing  out,  and,  for  a  time,  edited  the  Minnesota  Union,  sup- 
porting°the  Lincoln  Administration  in  the  prosecution  of  the  War. 
He  had,  in  April,  put  his  name  down  as  a  volunteer  in  the  war,  and 
had  gone  to  Fort  Ripley  for  a  week  to  drill  under  the  regulars  in  the 
manual  of  arms.  He  assisted  in  raising  an  infantry  company;  was 
mustered  into  the  service  as  a  private  October  11, 1861 ;  commissioned 
Captain  of  Company  "I"  3d  Minnesota  Vol.  Infantry,  November  4, 


CHRISTOPHER     C.     ANDREWS. 

and  the  same  month  moved  with  the  regiment  to  Kentucky,  where 
it  was  employed  during  the  winter  guarding  the  Louisville  and 
Nashville  Railroad.  The  next  Spring  he  moved  with  his  regiment 
to  Nashville,  thence  to  Murfreesboro  and  Columbia,  and,  in  June, 
marched  over  the  Cumlierland  mountains  to  Pikeville. 

He  was  in  the  fight  with  Forest  at  Murfreesboro,  July  13th,  1862. 
On  the  surrender  of  the  regiment  to  Forest,  which  he,  still  a  captain, 
earnestly  opposed,  he  was  confined  three  months  in  the  Confeder- 
ate prison  at  Madison,  Georgia.  Asa  company  commander,  he  had 
entered  into  the  study  and  practice  of  the  military  art,  with  zeal  and 
fondness.  His  six  months  residence  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  in  1854, 
almost  daily  observation  of  drill  and  manceuvres,  attendance  on 
inspections,  &c.,  had  given  him  useful  hints  as  to  discipline  and  sani- 
tary regulations.  While  in  prison  he  wrote,  "  Hints  to  Company 
Officers,"  (published  by  Van  Nostrand).  He  was  elected  by  the  piis- 
oners — from  200  to  300  Commissioned  Officers — to  visit  Washing- 
ton, to  draw  their  pajr  and  urge  their  exchange;  but  an  order  for 
their  exchange  being  made,  the  mission  was  not  executed.  Prepar- 
atory to  an  exchange,  he  was  taken  with  other  prisoners  in  cattle 
cars,  via  Columbia,  S.  C,  aud  Raleigh,  N.  C,  to  Libby  Prison,  Rich- 
mond, where,  after  a  few  days,  he  was  paroled.  He  then  made  a  short 
visit  to  his  native  place,,  in  New  Hampshire,  and  to  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point  On  the  reorganization  of  his  regiment,  he 
was,  December,  1862,  appointed  its  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and  pro- 
ceeded with  it  to  Columbus,  Kentucky ;  was  on  an  exjaediti'on  up 
the  Tennessee ;  served  for  some  time  as  President  of  a  Military  Com- 
mission at  Columbus :  was  with  his  regiment  in  the  operations  before 
Vicksburg;  appointed  and  mustered  as  Colonel  of  his  regiment;  Aug- 
ust and  September  (1863)  was  with  General  Steele,  on  the  campaign, 
which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Little  Rock,  and  was  placed  in  com- 
mand of  the  post  of  Little  Rock  with  a  brigade.  January,  1861:,  his 
regiment  re-enlisted  as  veterans.  Being  sent  on  a  scout  up  White 
River,  with  but  little  over  one  hundred  men,  he,  on  the  1st  of  April, 
1864,  near  Augusta,  Arkansas,  successfully  repulsed  an  attack  of  a 
much  larger  force  of  the  enemy,  under  General  McCrae,  in  a  severe 
combat,  during  which  his  horse  was  shot  under  him.  The  distance 
traveled  in  the  round  trip  was  836  miles,  thirty  of  which  were  on 
foot,  and  his  command  was  absent  from  Little  Rock  not  quite  three 
days.  April  19th,  he  was  sent  on  another  expedition  up  White 
River  with  a  stronger  force,  and  captured  a  Confederate  Colonel  and 

48 


CHRISTOPHER    C.     ANDREWS. 

a  number  of  other  prisoners,  his  own  force  meeting  \vith  no  loss  nor 
accident.     April  27th,  1864,  he  received  a  commission  as  Brigadier- 
General   of  Volunteers,  bearing  date  January  5th,  and  was  put  in 
command   of  a   column  of  3000  men,  to  take  supplies  to  Steele's 
armv  at  Camden.   June  16th,  took  command  of  the  2d  Division,  7th 
Corps,  consisting  of  eleven  regiments  of  infantry,  six  regiments  of 
cavalry,  and  three  batteries  of  arti  lery— aggregate   12,000  men— 
with  headquarters  at  Little  Rock.     Being  assigned  to  the  command 
of  Duvall's  Bluff,  on   White  Elver,  Steele's  base  of  supplies,  his 
Division  headquarters  were  moved  there  July  7th.     He  had  been  in 
command  of  the  post  of  Little  Rock  about  eight  months,  and  in  that 
time  the  Free  State  Government  of  Arkansas  was  completely  organ- 
ized     He  had  encouraged  and  aided  tlie  Loyalists  in  that  important 
movement,  from  its  first  weak  beginning  to  its  successful  close,  and 
he  received  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  from  the  Free  State  Consti- 
tutional Convention,  and   afterwards  from  the   State  Senate.     He 
remained  in  command   of  Duvall's  Bluff  five  months.     For  a  short 
time  after  his  ffoing  there,  the  whole  number  of  men  present  was 
about  7  000  ma'ny  of  whom  were  dismounted  cavalry,  and  there  was 
much  si'cknkss.     There  was  heavy  fatigue  duty  to  be  done  in  con- 
structing fortifications   and    unloading    supplies.     To   inspect    the 
troops  and  their  camps,   and  to  attend  to  their  sanitary  needs ;  to 
visit  frequently  the  picket  line;  to  examine  and  pass  upon  the  pro- 
ceedings of  two  or  three  General  Coiu-ts  Martial,  and  of  frequent 
Board^  of  Survey;  to  instruct  and  send  out  ft-equent  scouting  par- 
ties"   to  plan   and  supervise  field   earthworks;    promote  military 
instruction,  discipline,  efficiency  and  economy  :-such  were  some  ot 
the  duties  which  employed  a  division  commander  at  such  a  place, 
and  whose  men  were  for  the  most  part  detached  at  difi^erent  outposts. 
The   failure   of  the  Red  River  Campaign  had,  everywhere  in  the 
South-west,  emboldened  and  multiplied  the  enemy.      Shelby,  and 
other  partisan  leaders,  were,  during  the  summer  and  autumn,  con 
stantly  threatening  Steele's  communications.      Duvall's  Bluff  was  a 
vital  point ;  nevertheless,  as  fast  as  his  command  became  avaihible 
for  active  duty.  Gen.  Andrews  had  to  spare  men  for  detached  out- 
posts along  the  radway,  or  at  other  places  deemed  necessary  to  be 
protected,  and  for  active  field  duty.       His  force  under  hand  became 
so  small,  therefore,  in  a  few  weeks,  that  he  was  under  the  necessity 
of  organising  and  arming  the  civilians  m  the  Quartermaster  s  ..emce 
to  provide  against  a  threatened  attack.      While  there,  his  command 


CHKISTOPHER     C.     ANDREWS. 

saved  to  the  United  States  upwards  of  $550,000  in  the  single  item  ol 
rebel  beef  cattle,  which  it  captured.  Even  the  hides,  to  the  value  of 
$2,000,  were  turned  over  to  the  government  During  the  two  months 
preceding  liis  leaving  Duvall's  Bluif,  his  scouts  captured  eighty  prison- 
ers of  war,  including  fourteen  commissioned  officers,  with  a  hjss  of 
only  one  man. 

Ilaviug  been  designated  by  that  able  commander.  General  Canby, 
for  field  duty,  in  the  campaign  of  Mobile,  he  was  relieved  at  Duvall's 
Bluff,  Dec.  27,  by  Gen.  Shaler;  and  Jan.  3,  1865,  at  Morganzia,  La., 
took  command  of  the  3d  Brigade  Reserve  Corps,  comprising  nine 
infantry  regiments,  stationed  at  different  points  along  the  river.  He 
afterward  moved  with  his  forces  to  Kenner,  near  New  Orleans; 
thence  to  Barancas,  Fla.,  where,  after  some  weeks  of  military  exer- 
cises, his  command  was  increased  and  organized  into  the  2d 
Division,  13th  Corps — a  well  drilled  and  splendid  body  of  veterans. 
March  9th,  he  was  commissioned  by  Pi-esident  Lincoln  Major  General 
by  brevet.  On  the  11th  of  March,  with  two  brigades,  upwards  of 
5,000  effective  men,  of  his  division,  he  began  the  advance  movement 
of  Steele's  column,  which  made  a  circuitous  and  most  difficult  march 
(actually  corduroying  fifty  miles  of  road)  via  Pensacola,  Pollard  and 
Stockton  to  Fort  Blakely.  In  the  investment  and  siege  of  Blakely, 
which  began  April  2d,  and  lasted  seven  days,  his  division  was  in  the 
centre  confronting  the  strongest  works  and  best  manned  part  of  the 
rebel  line.  In  the  victorious  assault  of  the  9th  of  April — -the  last 
of  the  great  battles  of  the  war — his  division  moving  on  the  double 
quick,  over  ground  mined  with  torpedoes,  in  thu'ty  minutes  carried 
all  the  strong  line  of  works  in  its  front,  including  three  redoubts, 
captured  several  stands  of  colors,  a  number  of  guns,  and  thirteen 
hundred  prisoners,  including  a  General  commanding  a  division,  and 
seventy-one  other  commissioned  officere.  His  loss  was  thirty  killed 
and  two  hundred  wounded.  Aftenvards  he  was,  for  a  short  time,  m 
command  of  Selma,  Ala. ;  May  27th,  was  placed  in  command  of  the 
district  of  Mobile ;  July  8th,  assumed  command  of  a  district  in 
Texas,  with  headquarters  at  Houston  ;  was  ordered  to  accompany 
Gov.  Hamilton  to  the  State  Capital,  Austin ;  was  present  at  his  re-in- 
statement  in  civil  authority,  and  presented  by  him  to  the  people  in 
the  Capitol.  In  his  order  of  July  26,  Gen.  Andrews  said:  "The 
humblest  person  should  feel  secure  from  unlawful  violence  ;  threats 
or  persecution  for  political  opinions  will  not  be  allowed  ;  and  neigh- 
borhoods  and    communities   will   be   held  responsible   that   Union 

50 


CKRISTOPHER     C.     ANDREWS. 

refugees  are  no  longer  persecuted."  He  was  carrying  these  principles 
fully  into  practice,  when,  August  1-itb,  being  relieved  by  General 
Mower,  he  was  ordered  by  Sheridan  to  report  to  Steele  on  the  Klo 
Grande.  But  the  volunteer  armies  were  rapidly  undergoing  reduc- 
tion, and  in  compliance  with  the  order  of  the  War  Department 
relieving  a  large  number  of  general  oflScers,  he  proceeded  to  his  home 
in  Minnesota,  and  was  mustered  out  of  service  the  15th  of  the  follow- 
ing January.  The  records  of  the  War  Department  show  that  during 
the  whole  term  of  his  service,  except  the  single  time  he  was  a 
prisoner  of  war,  he  was  not  oflF  duty  on  any  account  over  ten  days  in 

all. 

Though  General  Andrews  was  not  originally  an  Abolitionist,  he 
was  never  a  pro-slavery  man.     In  his  speech  before  the  Union  Club, 
at  Little  Eock,  Nov.  4th,  1863,  he  said:  "We  have  found  slavery  a 
destructive  element  in  popular  government,  and  principally  because 
it  tends  to  keep  the  masses  ignorant.     I  am,  therefore,  heartily  glad 
to  see  it  expiring.     It  must  and  will  go  under."     He  encouraged  the 
education  of  the  colored  people,  and,  while  in  command  of  the  post 
of  Little  Rock,  he  visited  and  addressed  a  colored  school     While  in 
command  of  Mobile,  he  issued  an  order  requiring  the  testimony  of 
witnesses  to  be  received  in  courts  of  justice  without  any  distinction 
of  color.     In  the   autumn  of   1865,   in   Minnesota,  he,   in  public 
addresses,  urged  the  adoption  of  negro  sofifi-age,  and  continued  to 
advocate  it  till  the  principle  was  adopted  in  the  Constitution  of  his 
State  and  of  the  United  States.    In  his  speech  at  St.  Paul,  Oct.  26th, 
1865— afterwards  published  by  the  Congressional  Eepublican  Com- 
mittee as  a  campaign  document — he   said:  "I   warn  you,  as  you 
desire  peace  to  the  country,  you  do  not  permit  the  rebel  States  so  to 
re-enter  the  Union,  that  loyalty  will  still  have  to  hide  in  the  moun- 
tains and  freedom  skulk  in  the  canebrakes."      In  1868  he  was  a 
delegate  to  the  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago,   that  nominated 
Grant  and  Colfax.     The  same  year  he  accepted,  three  weeks  only 
before  the  canvass  closed,  the  regular  Republican  nomination  for  Con- 
gress in  his  district.     An  independent  Republican  candidate  ha  1  for 
some  time  been  in  the  field,  and  the  residt  was  the  election  of  a 
Democrat.     General  Andrews,  however,  received  8,598  votes,  having 
a  majority  of  the  Republican  votes  in  seventeen  out  of  the  twenty- 
four  Republican  Counties  in  the  district 

His  literary  labors  have  been  considerable.  While  yet  a  student 
at  law  in  Boston,  he  began  to  write  for  the  "  Prisoner's  Friend,"  con- 
tributing   articles   on   the  "  Prevention   of  Crime,"  the  "  Rights  of 

'^  51 


CHRISTOPHER     C.     ANDREWS. 

Women,"  and  biographical  sketches  of  Romilly,  Mackintosh,  Grattan, 
O'Connell,  Brougham  and  Talfourd.  In  1853  he  published  a  pam- 
plilet  on  education.  In  1856  he  wrote  a  number  of  letters  to  the 
Boston  Pusl,  desLi-iptive  of  a  tour  in  Minnesota,  which  were  after- 
wards repul)lished  in  a  book.  He  was,  afterwards,  the  regular 
coirespondent  irom  Minnesota  of  the  Boston  Post,  and,  during  its 
first  year,  of  tlie  New  York  World.  He  also  corresponded  with  the 
Evening  Post.  Previous  to  1861  he  had  visited  all  the  settled 
portions  of  Minnesota,  including  the  Red  River  Valley  and  Lake 
Superior ;  and  his  letters,  descnptive  of  its  resQurces  and  industries, 
that  have  been  published  in  different  journals,  would  fill  a  large 
volume.  The  North  American  Review  for  January,  1860,  and  July, 
1861,  contain  articles  by  him  on  "  The  Condition  and  Needs  of  the 
Indian  Tribes,"  and  "  The  Public  Lands  of  the  United  States."  He 
is  the  author  of  a  "  Practical  Treatise  on  the  Revenue  Laws  of  tlie 
United  States,"  of  a  "Digest  of  the  Opinions  of  the  Attorneys 
General  of  the  United  States."  He  also  edited  two  or  three  volumes 
of  the  "Opinions  of  the  Attorneys  General."  His  "History  of  the 
Campaign  of  Mobile"  was  published  in  1.867.  In  order  the  better  to 
prepare  the  work,  he,  in  1866,  revisited  the  battle  fields  near  Mobile. 
A  dozen  or  more  of  his  speeches  and  addres'ses  have  been  published. 
General  Andrews  was  first  appointed  and  confirmed  as  Minister  to 
Copenhagen,  May,  1869  ;  but  his  appointment  was  vei»y  soon  changed 
to  Stockholm,  where  he  was  accredited  July  24th,  1869.  He  has 
assisted  in  bringing  to  a  conclusion  a  treaty  for  the  reduction  of 
postage  between  the  United  States  and  Sweden  and  Noi-way.  It 
appears,  from  the  printed  volumes  on  Foreign  Relations  and  Commer- 
cial Relations  of  the  United  States,  that  he  has  made  elaborate  reports 
to  his  government  on  many  impoi-tant  subjects,  including  the  produc- 
tion of  iron,  agriculture,  commerce,  manitfactures,  sanitary  institutions, 
finance,  taxes.  He  has  also  made  a  valuable  report  on  the  tree  and 
forest  culture  in  Sweden,  comprising  a  practical  description  of  the 
manner  of  growing,  and  the  economical  management  and  use  of  for- 
ests, as  well  as  a  translation  of  some  of  the  principal  laws  on  the  ad- 
ministration, care  and  preservation  of  public  forests. 

His  report  on  Public  Instruction  in  Sweden,  was  issued  as  a 
circular  of  information  by  our  Bureau  of  Education. 

Gen.  Andrews  is  five  feet,  eleven  inches  in  height,  has  black  hair 
and  beard,  and  dark  eyes.  He  was  married  in  1868,  and  has  one 
child.  His  mother  and  father  died  November,  1870,  in  their  77th 
and  80th  vearsrespectivelv. 


'Er.g-.-5'.-9a  for  the  Eo'.ec::-^  'r/  GE  Perme  KewTcrk 


^^^/  //^e^/UUkj^^^^ 


REV.  HENRY  WARD  BEECHER, 

PA^TOK  OF  PLYltfOTJTH  CONGIIEGA.TIONA.1^ 
CHUKCJtl,  BKOOKLlLiYN. 

By  J.    AlEIANDEE  PiTTEN. 


P£S? 


^0  CLERGYMAN  in  the  United  States  has  attracted 
,  ^  to  himself  the  wide-spread  attention  which  has  been 
bestowed  upon  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher.  His 
_^  position  in  the  religious,  political,  literary,  and  social 
world  is  one  of  commanding  influence,  and  his  great  and 
™_  -  varied  talents  are  always  most  conspicuous.  He  has  been 
discussed  from  every  standpoint  of  criticism,  and  still  is  a  man  of  the 
widest  popularity. 

Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher  is  the  son  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Ly- 
man Beecher,  and  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  June  24th, 
1813.  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  Con- 
gregational clergymen  and  scholars  of  his  day,  and  he  reared  a 
large  family,  all  of  whom  have  obtained  distinction  in  some  of  tlie 
scholariy  walks  of  life.  Several  of  the  sons  are  clergymen,^  and 
Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  authoress  of  •'  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  and 
other  works,  is  a  distinguished  daughter.  Henry  Ward  was  grad- 
uated at  Amherst  College,  in  1834,  and  studied  theology  with  his 
father  at  Lane  Seminary,  Cincinnati.  In  1837,  in  his  twenty-fourth 
year,  he  accepted  his  first  charge  as  a  Presbyterian  minister  at 
Lawrenceburg,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  next 
removed  to  Indianapolis,  where  he  continued  eight  years,  until 
1847.  He  was  a  popular  preacher  in  the  West,  having  those 
powers— natural  eloquence  and  feariess  independent  character— 
which  are  so  highly  valued  by  the  people  of  that  section. 

In  1847,  he  accepted  a  call  to  his  present  charge  as  pastor  of 
Plymouth  Congregational  Church,  Brooklyn.  He  left  the  West  with 
many  regrets,  scarcely  believing  that  a  city  like  Brooklyn  was  the 
proper  field  of  labor  for  him.     His  peculiar  style  of  preaching  had 


53 


HENKY     WARD     BEECHER. 

never  been  heard  there ;  and,  in  fact,  it  was  so  muoh  of  an  innova- 
tion upon  the  kind  which  was  in  vogue,  that  its  success  might  well 
bo  deemed  doubtful. 

The  congregation  which  called  him  was  a  new  organization  of 
orthodox  Congregational  believers.  They  had  purchased  the  church 
property  on  Cranberry  and  Orange  streets,  formerly  occupied  by  the 
Presbyterian  Congregation  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  H.  Cox,  and 
were  chiefly  New  England  people. 

The  following  is  an  interesting  historical  account  of  this  congre- 
gation : 

"  Plymouth  Church  stands  upon  ground  comprising  seven  lots, 
running  through  from  Craubei-ry  to  Orange  streets.  It  was  pur- 
chased in  1823  of  John  and  Jacob  M.  Hicks  for  the  erection  of 
an  edifice  for  the  use  of  "  The  First  Presbyterian  Church."  The 
population  of  Brooklyn  was  then  less  than  10,000.  It  was  re- 
garded by  cautious  men  as  a  hazardous  enterprise,  for  the  church 
was  built  in  what  was  then  cultivated  fields,  and  far  out  from  the 
settled  portion  of  the  village,  though  now  in  the  densest  part  of 
Brooklyn  Heights.  The  pastors  who  labored  on  this  ground  were 
Rev.  Joseph  Sandford,  from  1823  to  1829  ;  Rev.  Daniel  L.  Carroll, 
D.  D.,  from  1829  to  1835 ;  Rev.  Samuel  H.  Cox,  D.  D.,  from  1837 
to  1847,  when  the  Presbyterian  Society  built  their  present  house  of 
worship  upon  Henry  street.  In  1846  John  T.  Howard,  then  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  of  the  Pilgrims  in  Brooklyn,  Rev.  R.  S.  Storrs, 
Jr.,  pastor,  learning  that  the  premises  were  for  sale,  obtained  the 
refusal  of  them  from  the  trustees  at  the  price  of  $20,000,  and  con- 
sulted with  David  Hale,  of  the  Tabernacle  Church,  New  York,  as  to 
the  expediency  of  establishing  a  new  Congregational  Church  at  this 
location.  Encouraged  by  the  support  of  Mr.  Hale,  Mr.  Howard 
completed  the  contract  of  purchase  on  June  11th,  1846.  Possession 
was  given  on  the  10th  of  May,  1847.  The  first  meeting  of  those 
interested  in  the  establishment  of  the  new  Church  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Henry  C.  Bowen,  on  Saturday  evening,  May  8th,  1847. 
There  were  present  David  Hale,  of  New  York  ;  Ira  Payne,  John  T. 
Howard,  Charles  Rowland,  David  Griffin,  and  Henry  C.  Bowen,  of 
Brooklyn.  It  was  there  resolved,  '  that  religious  services  shall  be 
commenced,  by  Divine  permission,  on  Siinday,  the  16th  day  of  May ;' 
and  on  that  morning,  in  1847,  the  meeting  house  in  Cranberry  street 
was  opened  for  religious  worship. 

"  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  who  was  then  pastor  of  the  Second  Pres- 

54 


HENRY     WARD     BEECHER. 


byterian  Church,  in  Indianapolis,  had  visited  New  York  at  this  time, 
at  the  request  of  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society,  to  make  a 
public  address  a-t  its  anniversary.  He  was  invited  to  preach  at  the 
opening  of  this  Church,  and  accordingly  preached,  both  in  the  morn- 
ing and  evening,  to  audiences  which  crowded  every  part  of  the 
building.  On  Monday  evening,  June  lith,  184:7,  the  Chui-ch,  by  a 
unanimous  vote,  elected  Henry  Ward  Beecher  to  be  their  pastor. 
On  the  19th  of  August,  Mr.  Beecher  wrote  from  Indianapolis  accept- 
ing the  pastorate.  On  Sunday,  the  lOtli  of  October,  1847,  he  com- 
menced his  labors.  In  the  morning  the  Chui-ch  was  about  three- 
fourths  full,  and  entirely  full  in  the  evening.  This  continued  to  be 
the  case  for  about  four  months,  after  which  the  building  was  gen- 
erally crowded  both  morning  and  evening.  From  the  year  1849  to 
1866  there  was  a  frequent  recurrence  of  revivals  at  the  Church,  and 
large  accessions  to  the  number  of  its  members.  With  a  few  excep- 
tions, consequent  upon  ill  health,  a  visit  to  Europe  and  a  lecturing 
tt)ur  in  behalf  of  the  abolition  of  slavery,  Mr.  Beecher  has  labored 
steadily  at  his  post  since  1847.  He  has  a  Summer  vacation  every 
year,  which  generally  lasts  upon  an  average  about  six  weeks. 

''  On  the  13th  of  January,  1849,  Plymouth  Church  was  seriously 
damao-ed  by  Are,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  Church  should  be 
entire'ly  rebuilt.  The  corner-stone  of  this  edifice  was  laid  May  '29th, 
1849,  and  the  building  was  completed  so  as  to  be  occupied  by  the 
congregation  on  the  first  Sunday  in  January,  1850.  The  Church  is 
lOS^'feet  long,  80  feet  broad,  and  accommodates  2,800  people.  Lec- 
ture rooms  and  school  rooms  were  also  built,  and  the  entire  cost  of 
the  Church  was  about  $36,000,  and  the  former  also  a  large  sum.  In 
1866  a  new  organ  was  purchased  at  an  expense  of  $22,000.  In  1869 
the  pew  rents  realized  about  $53,000.  The  Bethel,  in  Hicks  street, 
has  been  built  by  the  Church  at  a  cost  of  about  $75,000.  School 
services  on  Sunday  evenings,  lectures  and  a  free  reading  room  are  a 
part  of  the  agencies  of  this  Bethel.  It  has  done  and  is  doing  the 
greatest  amount  of  good  to  the  more  neglected  part  of  the  population. 
A  new  Bethel  has  been  erected  in  another  part  of  the  city.  In  view 
of  all  these  facts,  Plymouth  Church  may  be  said  to  be  a  Church  in 

earnest." 

In  October,  1872,  seiwices  took  place  during  several  days  to  com- 
memorate the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  organization  of  the 
congregation.  A  movement  was  inaugurated  to  raise  fifty  thousand 
dollars  for  the  support  of  their  missions.     At  the  annual  business 


HENRY     WARD     BEECHEE. 

meeting  of  the  trustees  it  was  shown  that  there  were  2,184  names 
upon  the  registry  of  the  Church.  From  the  treasurer's  report,  it 
appears  that  the  annual  collection  amounted  to  $15,554  97 ;  for  the 
poor,  $1,079  18;  pew  rentals,  $60,000;  contributions  of  three 
schools,  $3,054  56.     Total,  $79,683  65. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Beecher  took  an  active  part  in  the  Presidential  con- 
test in  favor  of  Fremont — not  only  with  his  pen,  but  by  addressing 
mass  meetings  in  difterent  parts  of  the  Northern  States.  As  a  popu- 
lar lecturer  he  has  appeared  very  generally  before  the  Lyceums  of 
the  country.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  religious  weekly 
paper  called  the  Independent,  of  New  York,  and  was  for  some  time 
its  editor.  Later  he  founded  the  Christian  Union,  aad  is  still  its 
editor,  and  a  large  owner.  He  has  published  a  volume  of  "  Lectures 
to  Young  Men,"  a  volume  of  "  Star  Papers,"  made  up  of  his  con- 
tributions to  the  Independent,  and  other  volumes  of  popular  litera- 
ture. He  edited  the  "Plymouth  Collection  of  Hymns,"  which  is 
one  of  the  best  and  most  diversified  collections  of  sacred  poetry  in 
the  English  language,  and  is  now  in.  use  in  the  Congregational  and 
other  Churches.  Six  series  of  his  sermons  have  been  published  iu 
uniform  volumes.  Many  of  his  occasional  addresses  have  been  pub- 
lished, and  he  has  contributed  much  to  the  literary  press. 

During  the  late  war  he  went  to  England,  where  he  addressed 
immense  audiences  in  the  principal  cities  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of 
the  Union,  He  produced  a  marked  effect,  particularly  as  the  Con- 
federate agents  made  an  attempt  to  put  him  down ;  and  probably 
accomplished  more  in  influencing  the  English  masses  than  any  man 
who  went  abroad.  There  is  a  collection  of  handbills  and  posters, 
some  of  them  printed  in  red  ink,  at  the  Brooklyn  Historical  Society, 
which  were  used  to  incite  public  feeling  against  him.  In  April,  1865, 
he  went  to  Charleston,  at  the  request  of  the  Government,  and  deliv- 
ered an  oration  on  the  occasion  of  the  raising  of  the  old  flag  over 
Fort  Sumter. 

Mr.  Beecher  is  of  medium  height,  solid  siiiewy  figure,  and  has  a 
large  head,  with  a  rather  florid  complexion.  His  features  are  regu- 
lar, and  highly  expressive  of  intellectuality,  and  a  genial  disposition. 
His  step  is  quick,  and  he  shows  in  every  way  that  he  is  a  thorough- 
going man,  and  as  bold  as  he  is  generous.  His  eloquence  is  charac- 
terized by  originality,  logic,  pathos,  and  not  a  little  humor.  While 
his  voice  is  not  a  pleasant  one,  it  is  full  of  feeling,  distinct   and 

5ti 


HENRY     WARD     BEECHER. 

Strong.      He  has  a  great  deal  of  gesticulation,  and  sometimes  hia 
voice  rings  out  to  the  utmost  power  of  his  capacious  lungs. 

At  the  close  of  some  very  fine  congregational  singmg,  Mr.  Beecher 
rises  to  begin  his  sermon.     He  commences  in  a  moderate  tone  of 
voice,  and  confines  himself  to  a  pretty  close  reading  of  his  notes. 
As  he  proceeds  he  warms  up  in  his  subject,  grows  eloquent,  and 
succeeds  in  fixing  the  deepest  attention  by  the  force  of  his  argu- 
ments, and  the  original  and  often  humorous  similes  which  he  con- 
stantly introduces.     He  shakes  back  his  hair,  draws  a  long  breath  to 
be  sure  that  his  lungs  are  in  order,  withdraws  a  step  or  two  from  the 
desk,  and  folds  his  arms  across  his  breast,  as  if  for  bands  to  keep 
him  from  breaking  his  ribs  in  the  coming  eflbrt.     After  all  this  pre- 
paration, instantaneously  made,  he  at  once  soars  to  the  highest  efi^orts 
of  oratory.     At  one  moment  tears  are  starting  to  almost  every  eye, 
and  the  next  the  congregation  are  in  a  broad  smile,  which  sometimes 
ends  in  a  loud  laugh."    He  utters  words  of  the  keenest  sarcasm,  and 
then  he -melts  away  into  thoughts  of  holiness  and  love.     At  another 
time  he  gesticulates  most  violently  ;  he  paces  up  and  down  the  pulpit 
in  great  agitation ;  he  runs  to  first  one  corner  of  the  desk  and  then 
the  other  r  pounds  and  shakes  his  fist,  bends  forward  and  backward ; 
and,  finally,  in  a  whirlwind  of  excitement,  and  in  a  voice  of  thunder, 
pours  forth  a  torrent  of  language  which  the  want  of  breath  only 
induces  him  to  suspend.     He  makes  your  heart  bound  with  emotion  ; 
he  tempts  the  most  solemn  into  smiles,  and  stands  a  wonder  as  an 
orator.     That  he  is  a  mighty  tliinker,  and  one  of  the  most  powerful 
of  living  orators,  cannot  be  denied.     While  he  is  speaking  the  old 
and  young  are  held  in  wrapt  attention,  and  there  is  no  subject  but 
what  he  cbscusses  with  singular  originality  and  brilliancy.     His  ser- 
mons are  very  long,  but  neyer  tiresome.     The  thoughts  are  profound 
and   new,   and  they  are  demonstrated  with  ability  and  eloquence. 
His  learning,  mgenious  arguments,  and  interweavings  of  pathos  and 
humor  make  the  whole  discourse  most  eflective. 

He  is  a  man  of  genial  disposition,  and  of  warm  attachments ; 
and  he  has  secui-ed  idolizing  friends.  His  sympathies  are  with  all 
works  of  education  and  philanthropy,  and  he  is  altogether  without 
sectarian  prejudices.  In  truth,  he  is  one  who  for  many  noble 
qualities  of  character,  joined  with  extraordinary  gifts  as  a  preacher, 
has  secured  a  wider  public  and  private  esteem  than  any  man  of 
his  day. 


RUFUS    BARRINGER. 


Wl^-^?  ENERAL  RUFUS  BAREINGER  is  of  German 
'^'Fv^^tX:^;^  descent.  His  grandfather,  Paul  Barringer,  Sen., 
f|o  ft,.-"^';"*'  came  to  this  country  as  early  as  1748.  He  settled 
u*"'  first  in  Pennsylvania;  afterwards  removed  to  Virginia, 
and,  finally,  located  in  Mecklenburg  County,  North 
^-'f,  Carolina,  where  he  brought  up  a  large  family.  His  oldest 
son,  Paul  Barringer,  Jr.,  succeeded  to  the  paternal  estate  on 
Dutch  Buffalo  Creek  in  the  present  county  of  Cabarrus,  where 
Gen.  Rufus  Barringer  was  born  on  the  2d  of  December,  1821.  His 
mother's  name  was  Elizabeth  Brandon,  of  Rowan  County,  N.  C, 
an  extensive  family  of  Scotch-Irish  descent  On  both  sides  his 
ancestors  were  distinguished  for  patriotic  sei^vices  in  the  War  of 
the  Revolution.  His  father  was  able  to  give  his  children  good 
educations.  Rufus  received  his  classical  course  at  Sugar  Creek 
Academy  in  Mecklenburg,  and  was  graduated  at  the  State  Univer- 
sity at  Chapel  Hill  in  1842.  He  read  law  with  his  brother,  Hon. 
D.  M.  BaiTinger,  and  with  Hon.  R.  M.  Pearson,  He  began  the  prac- 
tice in  1844,  and  settled  in  Concord,  K.  C,  where  he  soon  acquired 
high  character  as  an  able,  honest,  and  successful  practitioner,  and 
where  he  was  fortunate  in  accumrdating  a  handsome  estate,  mainly 
by  his  profession.  He  had  no  taste  for  political  life,  but  on  two 
occasions  consented  to  serve  his  native  county  in  the  State  Legisla- 
ture— the  Commons  in  1848-9  and  the  Senate  in  1850-1,  when  he 
was  elected  by  large  majorities.  In  each  House  he  served  with 
distinction,  and  acquired  reputation  as  the  advocate  of  judicial 
reform  in  the  Old  North  State. 

The  late  Civil  War  found  Mr.  Bamnger  blessed  with  a  happy 
home,  and  surrounded  with  all  the  comforts  of  life.  A  Whig  in 
politics,  he  had  bitterly  denounced  Secession  as  fraught  with  untold 
troubles  and  dangers  to  the  country.     But  when  the  struggle  came, 

59 


BUFUS     BAREINGER. 

and  he  saw  that  war  was  inevitable,  he  frankly  changed  his  course, 
and  boldly  declared  that  the  only  hope  of  the  South  now  lay  in  all 
standing  together  and  making  a  gigantic  effort  to  secure  victory  on  the 
field  of  battle.  With  these  convictions  he  at  once  entered  the  Con- 
federate service  as  a  private.  He  was  shoi-tly  aftei-wards  elected 
captain  of  a  company  of  cavalry  raised  by  him  in  his  native  county 
of  Cabarrus.  In  May,  1861,  his  company  was  attached  to  the  famous 
First  North  Carolina  Cavalry  Eegiment,  with  which  be  remained 
until  June,  1864,  when  he  was  promoted  from  the  Lieut. -Colonelcy 
of  that  regiment  to  the  position  of  brigadier-general  of  cavalry,  in 
which  he  served  until  the  8d  of  April,  1865,  when  he  was  captured 
on  Lee's  retreat,  and  sent  to  Fort  Delaware,  where  he  remained  a 
prisoner  of  war  four  months. 

Gen.  Barringer  is  noted  for  his  strong  convictions,  bold  utter- 
ances, and  his  singular  fidelity  to  duty.  He  opposed  the  war ;  but 
when  he  went  into  it,  he  gave  the  cause  his  whole  heart;  and  it 
is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  during  the  four  years  he  was  never  absent 
from  a  tour  of  duty,  except  when  wounded.  He  was  in  seventy-six 
actions,  received  three  wounds,  and  had  two  horses  struck  under 
him.  He  was  never  defeated  in  action  except  on  the  last  retreat, 
when  his  noble  brigade  was  cut  to  pieces,  especially  at  Chamberlain 
Eun,  Five  Forks,  and  Namozine  Cliurch. 

Since  the  war  Gen.  Barringer  has  settled  in  Charlotte,  N.  C,  where 
he  devotes  himself  exclusively  to  his  profession.  He  lost  almost  his 
entire  estate  by  the  war;  but  with  that  energy  and  enterprise  pecu- 
liar to  him,  he  has  succeeded  in  measurably  retrieving  his  fortune. 

Gen.  Barringer  has  become  somewhat  noted  since  the  surrender 
of  the  Confederate  armies  by  his  prompt  and  unequivocal  acceptance 
of  the  situation.  He  came  out  decidedly  for  negro  suffrage  as  early 
as  1865 ;  accepted  the  Ee-construction  Acts  of  1867,  and  has  ever 
since  co-operated  with  the  National  Eepublican  Party.  He  has 
occasionally  opposed  the  men  and  measures  of  that  party,  but  has 
stood  unswervingly  by  its  principles,  which  he  is  honestly  convinced 
are  the  only  principles  that  can  pacify  and  save  the  country  in  its 
new  and  changed  conditions.  He  refuses  all  office,  but  always 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  his  opinions  are  eageriy 
sought  for  by  good  men  of  all  parties. 

Men  of  Gen.  Barringer's  stamp  are  destined  to  exert  marked 
influence  on  the  fature  of  the  country.  Notwithstanding  his  retire- 
ment from  public  life,  his  name  is  now  (February,  1872)  brought 

60 


RUFUS     BARRINGER. 

prominently  forward  as  a  candidate  for  Governor  of  North  Carolina. 
On  this  subject,  and,  touching  his  fitness  for  the  position,  a  coitcs- 
pondent,  signing  himself  "Newbei-ue,"  thus  writes  to  the  Carolina 
Era: 

THE    GOVERNORSHIP. 

"  Mr.  Editor  :  The  people — the  honest  people — the  politicians 
find  the  demagogues  throughout  the  State,  are  already  looking  about 
for  a  suitable  candidate  for  Governor.  This  is  well  for  the  honest 
people,  but  for  the  rest  'tis  folly. 

The  newspapers,  it  is  supposed,  will  become  very  kind,  and, 
withal,  quite  liberal  in  their  suggestions  and  advice  as  to  who  shall 
receive  the  nomination.  And  in  a  case  like  this  they  ought  to  re- 
flect the  virtuous  sentiments  and  serve  as  an  index  to  the  real 
wishes  and  needs  of  all  the  people.  But  will  they  ?  So  far  other- 
wise is  the  casa     But  we  hope  for  the  best 

The  Republican  party,  of  which  the  writer  hereof  claims  to  be 
an  orthodox  member  for  those  great  principles  as  laid  down  by 
Washington,  Jackson,  and  Abraham  Lincoln,  cannot  exist,  and  will 
be  utterly  defeated  at  this  year's  election  in  North  Carolina,  as  it 
ought  to  be,  should  any  attempt  be  made  to  hide  away,  or  apologize 
for,  the  .frauds  and  corruption  already  too  well  known  to  exist  in  it, 
or  essay  to  place  any  man  in  power  who  is  known  or  believed  to  be 
tainted  with  dishonesty.  The  party  must  be  purged  as  with  fire, 
and  every  ofiice  in  the  State,  from  Governor  down  ,to  the  lowest, 
must  be  filled  with  men  of  intelligence,  strict  integrity  and  unblem- 
ished moral  character. 

It  is  better  for  our  success  that  we  should  nominate  a  gentleman 
of  great  Executive  ability  who  has  not  held  office,  either  State  or 
National,  since  the  war.  General  success  will  depend  largely  upon 
the  nominee  for  Governor,  and  in  my  opinion  there  are  but  few  men 
in  the  State  who  can  achieve  a  Republican  victory. 

"Who,  then,  should  be  the  standard-bearer  of  the  Republicnn 
party  of  this  State  ?  I  feel  quite  sure  that  I  not  only  express  my 
own  preference,  but  of  our  people  generally,  when  I  name  Gen. 
Rufus  Barringer,  of  Mecklenburg,  as  the  man  before  any  other  in 
the  State  for  that  position. 

In  every  capacity  to  which  he  has  been  called,  both  civil  and 
military,  he  has  shown  superior  ability,  and  by  his  industry,  faith- 
fulness and  ability,  he  has  won  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  his 


RUFUS     BAREINGER. 

fellow-citizens.  Intellectually  he  is  the  peer  of  any  man  in  the 
State,  and  in  the  knowledge  and  comprehension  of  the  law,  of  pub- 
lic affairs — especially  Executive  and  financial  affairs — he  will  stand 
the  test  of  the  most  perilous  and  trying  time  in  the  State's  history. 

North  Carolina's  financial  and  political  interests  are  too  vast,  and 
her  future  holds  in  reserve  too  much  for  good  or  ill,  to  commit  her 
destinies  to  statesmen  whose  reputation  is  prospective,  whose  ability 
to  do  good  can  be  measured  by  a  profession  of  promises  only.  No 
second-rate  man  will  answer  our  purposes  now.  Large  public  inter- 
ests cannot  safely  be  committed  to  mere  dabsters  in  politics.  They, 
particularly  at  this  time,  require  men  of  solid  worth,  men  of  expe- 
rience, who  can  grasp  the  future  of  this  good  old  State. 

Gren.  Barringer  was  the  first  gentleman,  native  of  the  State,  to 
become  an  uncompromising  member  of  the  Eepublican  party,  since 
the  war,  and  who  alone  sti-uck  the  key-note  to  North  Carolina's 
future  greatness.  Whenever  he  has  spoken,  victory  has  crowned 
his  efforts.  His  letters  in  1867-'68-'71,  at  once  stamp  their  author 
as  a  man  of  great  political  sagacity  and  prescience— a  true  states- 
man. 

I  am  sure  the  nomination  for  Governor  ought  to,  and  I  believe  it 
will,  be  given  to  Eufus  Barringer  by  acclammation.  It  is  no  doubt 
true  that  he  does  not  seek  the  position.  Indeed  I  know  he  does  not. 
It  is  well  known  to  all  that  he  has  persistently  refused  all  overtures 
heretofore  made  to  him  for  office  of  any  kind  whatever.  Let  the 
people  and  the  office  seek  the  man,  instead  of  the  man  the  office. 

His  is  one  of  the  most  distinguished  and  honored  names  in  the 
State,  and  I  am  quite  sure  I  am  not  mistaken  when  I  affirm  that 
there  are  to-day  a  great  number  of  leading  and  influential  men 
throughout  the  State  who  will  cordially  support  Gen.  Barringer,  but 
who  could  not  be  induced  to  sustain  any  other  Republican 
nominee." 

The  General  has  been  thrice  married.  His  first  wife  was  a  sister 
of  Mrs.  Stonewall  Jackson :  he.  Gen.  Jackson,  and  Gen.  D.  H.  Hill 
having  all  married  daughters  of  Eev.  R.  H.  Morrison,  J).  D.,  of  Lincoln 
County,  N.  C. 

Notwithstanding  his   present  national  proclivities,   he  remains 

devotedly  true  to  the  sentiments  and  memories  of  the  Confederate 

cause.     He  often  writes  for  the  press  in  illustration  and  vindication 

of  that  cause  as  it  then  stood,  and  is  most  liberal  and  generous  to  its 

war-worn  heroes  and  defenders. 

62 


iZc^/  ecu 


WILLIAM    BIGLER. 


HE  HON.  WILLIAM  BIGLER,  of  Pennsylvania, 
is  one  of  a  class  of  men,  so  peculiar  to  America, 
who,  without  the  aid  of  fortune  or  influential 
friends,  have  rapidly  advanced  to  places  of  distinc- 
tion  and  honorable  trust  He  was  peculiarly  the  archi- 
tect of  his  own  fortune,  commencing  the  struggle  of  life 
destitute  of  means,  and  having  no  one  to  counsel  him  in 
liis  youth,  save  only  a  pious  mother.  He  soon  showed  him- 
self an  apt  student  in  whatever  he  undertook,  and  he  has  had  a  part 
in  nearly  all  the  practical  departments  of  life,  and  that  with  remark- 
able success.  It  may  be  claimed  that  his  strongest  characteristics  are 
a  clear  forecasting  mind,  a  sound  judgment,  sustained  by  singular 
energy,  zeal,  and  perseverance.  He  may  be  rated  a  wise,  rather 
than  a  brilliant  man. 

In  his  intercourse  with  his  fellow-men  he  is  uniformly  gracious, 
showing  a  nice  sense  of  propriety.  While,  on  all  public  questions, 
maintaining  his  own  views  with  firmness,  he  hears  with  deference 
and  respect  the  opinions  of  those  who  difter  with  him ;  and  for  this 
reason,  perhaps,  as  much  as  any  other,  he  has  always  been  regarded 
as  a  fair  and  candid  politician.  But  Mr.  Bigler's  qualities  of  mind 
appear  to  most  advantage  in  presenting  his  views  on  any  subject  in 
a  private  conversation  or  discussion.  He  shows  remarkable  facility 
in  presenting  the  strong  and  salient  points  in  a  case,  and  thereby 
displays  much  power  of  persuasion. 

He  was  born  at  Shermansburg,  Cumberland  Co.,  Penn.  in 
December,  1813,  and  as  a  singular  coincidence  it  may  be  stated  that 
Gen.  Gibson,  Chief  Justice  Gibson,  Dr.  Burnheisel,  of  Eulah,  John 
Bigler,  at  one  time  Governor  of  California,  and  William  Bigler,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  were  all  born  in  the  same  stone  house. 

When  still  quite  a  youth  William  Bigler's  parents  moved  from 
Cumberland  to  Mercer  Co.,  Penn.,  a  region  then  spoken  of  as  the 
far  West  The  parents  settled  on  a  large  tract  of  land  for  which  the 
elder  Bigler  had  traded  his  estate  in  Cumberland.  He  commenced 
the  usual  frontier  life  of  felling  the  forest  and  cultivating  the  soil 
to  gain  the  means  of  subsistence ;  but  this  enterprise  proved  too 
severe  for  his  impaired  constitution,  and  he  sank  under  it  and  died 

63 


WIL  LIAM     B  r  G  LER. 

ill  1824.  Among  the  group  of  mourners  that  followed  his  remains 
to  the  grave  were  two  sons,  John,  aged  twenty  years,  and  William, 
aged  eleven.  Twenty-eight  years  thereafter,  when  a  number  of  the 
same  group  followed  the  remains  of  the  mother  of  these  two  sons  to 
the  same  grave  yard,  John  was  the  acting  governor  of  Califomia, 
as  was  "William  at  the  same  time,  of  Pennsylvania.  Six  years  later 
and  John  was  a  minister  plenipotentiary  to  a  foreign  country,  and 
William  a  senator  of  the  United  States. 

William,  in  his  minority,  had  the  advantage  only  of  a  common 
school  education ;  but  he  soon  graduated  with  honors  in  a  printing 
office,  one  of  the  best  institutions  to  develop  the  talents  of  a  bright 
boy.  This  he  attained  to  in  the  office  of  his  brother  John,  at  Belle- 
fonte,  Penn.  In  1833  he  was  selected  by  certain  political  friends 
of  his  brother  to  print  and  edit  a  Democratic  newspaper  at  Clear- 
field, Penn.,  the  place  of  his  present  residence.'  This  enterprise  was 
regarded  by  young  Bigler  as  rather  hazardous,  but  after  due  con- 
sideration and  consultation  with  his  friends,  he  concluded  to  under- 
take it.  Just  here  it  may  be  mentioned  that  among  those  who 
urged  Bigler  to  go  to  Clearfield,  was  ex-Gov.  A.  G.  Cui-tin,  then  a 
school  boy. 

Equipped  for  the  battle  of  life,  with  an  old  hand-press,  a  set 
of  sheep  skin  balls,  a  molasses  roller,  a  font  of  second-hand 
type,  and  $40  of  borrowed  money,  young  Bigler  arrived  at  Clear- 
field, in  Aug.,  1833.  A  few  days  sufficed  to  get  his  printing  office 
in  order,  and  to  present  to  the  public  the  first  copy  of  the  Clearfield 
Democrat.  Thus  introduced,  Bigler  soon  became  an  object  of 
special  care  and  friendship  on  the  part  of  the  most  substantial  men 
of  the  county,  and  in  a  brief  period,  through  his  extraordinary 
industry  and  tireless  energy,  he  was  on  the  highway  to  prosperity, 
and  also  to  commanding  political  prominence  in  the  Western  section 
of  the  State. 

In  March,  1836,  he  was  married  to  Maria  J.,  daughter  of  Alex- 
ander B.  Eeed,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  County,  and  one  of 
the  most  respected  and  influential  in  that  section  of  the  State.  Soon 
after  this  event,  Bigler  parted  with  the  Clearfield  Democrat^  and 
entered  into  a  business  partnership  with  Mr.  Reed,  remaining  never- 
theless, a  leading  spirit  in  politics.  It  is  now  thirty-six  years  since  he 
first  represented  the  Democracy  of  Clearfield  in  a  State  Convention, 
and  thirty-one  years  since  he  was  first  elected  to  the  State  Senate  from 
thecoiinties  of  Armstrong,  Indiana,  Cambria,  and  Clearfield.    At  thia 

U4 


WILLIAM     BIGLER. 

election,  although  the  regular  nominee  of  the  Democratic  party, 
against  the  nominee  of  the  Whig  i:iarty,  he  received  every  vote  in 
the  county  of  Clearfield,  save  one,  whereas  his  jsarty  cast  less  than 
two-thirds  •  of  the  whole  vote.  Nothing  of  this  character  ever 
occurred  in  the  State  before  or  since.  In  the  Senate  he  gained  early 
distinction,  and  did  himself  great  honor  by  a  bold  resistance  to  the 
idea  of  repudiating  the  debt  of  the  State,  which  in  1842  and  1843 
manifested  itself  in  different  sections  of  the  State,  and  it  is  but  just 
to  say  that  he  has  uniformly  ever  since  maintained  the  same  policy, 
as  well  to  National  as  to  State  debts.  He  had  a  prominent  part 
in  the  abolition  of  imprisonment  for  debt  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in 
founding  the  insane  asylums  at  Philadelphia  and  Harrisburg.  His 
voice  was  always  raised  for  the  cause  of  education,  and  especially 
for  the  common  school  system. 

In  1844,  much  against  his  will,  he  was  returned  to  the  Senate, 
and  it  was  during  this  second  term  that  he  showed  remarkable 
foresight  about  railroad  enterprises.  It  is  almost  incredible,  but 
true,  that  in  maintaining  the  policy  of  constructing  the  present 
central  railroad,  connecting  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburg,  Bigler  en- 
countered the  vigorous  opposition  of  all  the  senators  from  Pittsburg 
and  one  of  those  from  Philadelphia.  These  senators  preferred  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  road  as  a  means  of  communicating  between 
Philadelphia  and  Pittsburg  !  1 

Mr.  Bigler's  useful  career  in  the  Senate  brought  his  name  promi- 
nently before  the  people  in  connection  with  the  oifice  of  goveroor, 
and  as  far  back  as  1848  he  had  a  large  vote  in  the  nominating  con- 
vention. In  June  1851  he  was  nominated  for  governor  by  acclama- 
tion, and  was  elected  after  a  most  vigorous  contest  on  the  stump 
with  W.  F.  Johnson.  It  is  said  that  from  August  till  the  11th  of 
October,  there  were  but  two  days  on  which  he  did  not  make  one  or 
more  speeches. 

In  1854  he  was  again  nominated  by  acclamation,  but  he  was 
defeated  through  the  power  of  the  Know-nothing  organization,  he 
being  one  of  its  first  victims. 

The  distinguishing  policy  of  Grovernor  Bigler's  administration 
was  a  watchful  care  over  the  rights  of  labor  in  its  relations  to  capi- 
tal, resistance  to  the  careless  granting  of  corporate  powers  and 
privileges  and  restriction  upon  special  legislation.  He  went  so  far, 
finally  as  to  withhold  his  signature  from  any  bill  containing  more 

than  one  object     He  differed  seriously  with   the  legislature  with 

65 


WILLIAM     BIGLEB. 

regard  to  banking  institutions,  and  encroachments  upon  private 
rights,  and  felt  called  upon  to  veto  twenty-nine  bills  in  the  space  of 
sixty  days.  One  of  these  embraced  eleven  banks.  Whilst  lie  was 
severely  criticized  by  the  ojDposition  press  as  to  certain  appointments, 
the  general  policy  of  Ms  administration  was  acceptable.  No  one 
ever  impeached  his  integrity  or  purity. 

Within  a  few  days  after  the  expiration  of  his  term  as  governor 
he  was  elected  President  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Erie  railroad,  in 
which  capacity  he  evinced  his  characteristic  energy  and  intcgiity. 

In  the  political  contest  of  that  Fall  the  Know-nothing  party  that 
defeated  him  was  in  turn  utterly  defeated,  and  Bigler  was  elected  to 
the  United  States  Senate,  which  high  station  he  filled  until  the  4th 
day  of  March,  1861. 

Mr.  Bigler's  career  in  the  Senate,  though  he  did  not  participate 
in  debate  so  frequently  as  many  others,  was  one  of  much  labor  and 
troublesome  responsibility.  He  came  into  the  Senate  under  the 
administration  of  President  Pierce,  and,  being  the  intimate  friend 
of  the  President,  he  necessarily  had  much  to  do  with  the  appoint- 
ments and  other  matters  relating  to  his  State. 

In  the  Senate  he  was  placed  on  the  Committee  on  Commerce ; 
on  that  on  the  Patent  and  the  Patent  office,  as  also  on  that  on 
Post  offices  and  Post  roads,  and  of  the  two  first  named,  he  became 
chairman.  In  1856  he  made  an  elaborate  report  from  the  Committee 
on  Commerce  on  the  construction  of  a  ship  canal  across  the  Isthmus, 
with  the  view  of  connecting  tlie  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans  by  ship 
navigation.  In  1858  he  delivered  a  very  careful  and  thoughtful 
speech  on  the  construction  of  the  Pacific  railroad,  prefemng  the 
Southern  route.  He  was  for  subsidies  to  the  ocean  telegraph,  as  he 
was  also  of  rewards  and  dignities  for  that  band  of  brave  men  con- 
nected with  the  expedition  of  Dr.  Kane  to  the  arctic  regions.  He 
entertained  peculiar  views  on  the  subject  of  the  tariff,  and  in  1859 
he  presented  them  to  the  Senate  at  much  length ;  and  although  they 
were  not  entirely  acceptable  to  his  party  friends,  they  added  much 
to  his  reputation  as  a  man  of  industry  and  earnest  thought. 

On  the  great  sectional  controversy  of  the  times,  growing  out  of 
slavery,  while  he  had  no  partialities  whatever  for  the  institution, 
being  a  life  member  of  the  coloni^iation  society,  he  seemed  to  be 
with  the  South.  But  his  real  standpoint  was  obedience  to  the  Con- 
stitution and  good  faith  amongst  the  members  of  the  Federal  Union. 
He  maintained  the  execution  of  the  fugitive  slave  law,  not  to  favor 


WILLIAM     BIGLER. 

slavery  or  slave-holders,  but  because  the  law  was  provided  for  in 
the  Constitution.  He  embraced  the  doctrine  of  Mr.  Webster,  that 
the  Constitution  if  broken  in  one  part  was  broken  in  all.  He  held 
that  slavery  was  a  domestic  institution  of  the  States,  and  that  under 
the  Constitution  each  had  a  right  to  have  it  or  not  as  the  people 
might  determine.  He  was  uniformly  the  unfaltering  advocate  of 
the  Union,  and  never  in  his  life  uttered  a  qualified  sentiment  in 
reference  to  its  maintenance.  He  afiirmed  that  it  should  be  main- 
tained "peaceable  if  it  could,  forcibly  if  it  must" 

He  was  very  earnest  against  the  extension  of  slavery  into  the 
territory  of  Kansas,  and  in  the  Summer  of  1857  made  a  tour  of 
tITe  territory  uj-ging  the  free  state  men  to  attend  the  polls  and  elect 
a  free  slate  convention  ;  but  when  they  refused  to  exercise  their 
rights,  Mr.  Bigler  held  that  they  were  bound  by  the  result  And 
out  of  these  things  grew  the  controversy  between  himself  and  the 
late  Mr.  Douglass,  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  in  Dec.  1857.  An 
examination  of  the  Congressional  Globe  of  that  session  will  convince 
any  one  that  Mr.  B.  had  made  himself  perfectly  familiar  with  every 
phase  of  that  protracted  controversy. 

He  was  among  those  who  first  became  alarmed  about  secession 
and  civil  war.  In  a  speech  delivered  in  the  Senate,  on  the  18th  day 
of  December,  1860,  he  attempted  to  arouse  the  country  on  this  sub- 
ject, maintaining  that  without  "concession  and  compromise,  secession 
and  civil  war  were  inevitable."  In  January  following,  and  on  the 
same  day  on  which  the  senators  from  the  Cotton  States  withdrew, 
he  made  another  ajjpeal,  in  the  course  of  which  he  denounced  seces- 
sion as  uttarly  unwarranted — that  it  was  the  climax  of  a  great  folly 
and  wickedness,  and  that  it  would  magnify  rather  than  mitigate  the 
evils  of  which  the  South  complained.     {See  Congressional  Globe.) 

In  that  last  struggle  for  peace  he  took  the  middle  gi-ound  occu- 
pied by  Messrs.  Crittenden,  Douglass,  Pearce,  and  others,  laboring 
with  unceasing  dilligence  to  bring  about  an  adjustment  of  the 
national  troubles.  Amongst  the  most  remarkable  measures  of  peace 
proposed  was  one  by  Mr.  Bigler,  submitting  the  main  features  of 
the  Crittenden  resolutions  to  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  several 
States  as  a  basis  of  settlement  But  the  radicals  of  the  North  and 
of  the  South  refused  to  have  it  considered.  He  was  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  committee  of  thirteen  to  whom  was  refeiTed  all  proposi- 
tions looking  to  a  settlement  of  the  national  troubles.    He  was  also  a 

member  of  the  committee  of  five  to  whom  was  referred  the  proceed- 

67 


WILLIAM     BIGLER. 

iiigs  of  the  Peace  Conference,  the  last  of  all  the  efforts  made  in 
Congress  to  settle  the  strife  between  the  North  and  the  South.  In 
a  speech  made  in  March,  1860,  that  great  patriot,  John  J.  Crittenden, 
alluded  to  the  part  Mr.  Bigler  had  taken  in  that  eventful  struggle  in 
the  following  earnest  terms : 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  zeal  and  industry  with  which  my  hon- 
orable and  honored  friend  from  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Bigler,  has  dis- 
played in  this  great  matter.  With  a  zeal  untiring  and  a  hope  unex- 
tingiiishable  he  has  labored  on  from  day  to  day  in  an  effort  that  few 
others  could  have  borne." 

Mr.  Bigler  was  a  leading  member  of  the  famous  Charleston  Con- 
vention, as  he  was  also  of  that  held  at  Chicago  and  at  New  York.  ' 

Although  an  effective  speaker  on  the  stump,  before  tbe  people, 
he  showed  but  little  inclination  to  speak  in  the  Senate ;  nor  was  that 
the  field  in  which  his  abilities  shone  to  most  advantage.  The  Coun- 
cil Chamber  was  the  department  in  which  he  appeared  best 

He  still  resides  at  Clearfield,  Pena,  and  has  been  in  piivate  life 
since  he  left  the  Senate,  except  that  in  1864,  against  his  will,  he  was 
run  for  Congress,  showing  his  usual  pei-sonal  strength  by  running 
largely  ahead  of  his  party  vote. 

In  the  recent  political  contest  in  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Bigler  held 
that  the  Liberal  Republicans  were  entitled  to,  at  least,  one  repre- 
sentative in  the  Constitutional  Convention,  and,  hoping  thereby  to 
aid  in  the  election  of  Mr.  Buckalew  to  the  Gubernatorial  chair,  he 
withdrew  his  name  from  the  Democratic  ticket,  in  order  that  the 
name  of  A.  G.  Curtin,  a  Liberal  Eepublican,  might  take  its  place. 
As  his  election,  by  reason  of  the  restricted  vote,  was  certain,  the  de 
votion  thus  evinced  by  Mr.  Bigler,  in  a  matter  which  he  believed  to 
greatly  concern  the  public  welfare,  elicited  the  highest  commenda- 
tions of  his  party  -friends. 

He  spent  most  of  the  years  1865  and  1866  on  the  Pacific  coast 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  as  chairman  of  a 
building  committee,  gave  general  dii-ection  to  the  erection  of  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  stone  church  buildings  in  the  State.  Mr.  Bigler 
is  still  in  the  enjoyment  of  much  vigor  of  body  and  mind.  Sur- 
rounded and  comforted  by  his  wife  and  three  sons,  honored  with  the 
continued  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens,  and  blessed 
with  a  fair  share  of  this  world's  goods,  his  later  life  promises  to  be 
as  peaceful  and  happy  as  his  former  has  been  eventful  and  suc- 
qessful. 

68 


/}y^^t^^y^  /■ 


/Z^^^h- 


HON  FRANX  P   B1.AIR  . 
SENATOR  PROM  MISSOURI- 


FRANCIS  P.  BLAIR. 


EANCIS   PRESTON    BLAIE,    Jb.,    United   States 

Senator  from  Missouri,  third  son,  and  youngest  child 

of  Francis  Preston  Blair,  the  editor  of  the  Washington 

Globe,  in  President  Jackson's  time,  was  born  on  the  19th 

day  of  February,  1821,  in  Lexington,  Kentucky. 

Senator  Blair  was  educated  at  Princeton  College,  New 
Jersey,  and  was  graduated  in  1841,  studied  law  in  the  oiEce 
of  his  elder  brother,  Montgomery,  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  was 
associated  with  him  in  practice. 

In  1845,  he  went  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  for  the  benefit  of  his 
health,  and  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican  War,  he  joined  a 
company  of  Americans,  resident  in  New  Mexico,  commanded  by 
Captain  George  Bent,  which  formed  part  of  the  force  of  General 
Kearney,  and  served  as  a  private  soldier  until  1847,  when  he  returned 
to  Missouri,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  Our  territorial  acqui- 
sitions from  Mexico,  and  the  claim  made  by  Mr.  Calhoun,  that 
slavery  was  carried  into  these  territories  by  force  of  the  constitution, 
made  slavery  a  national  question.  Mr.  Blair  opposed  the  extension 
of  slavery  into  the  territories  he  had  helped  to  conquer;  and  in  1848 
gave  his  support  to  Mr.  Van  Buren,  the  candidate  of  the  Free-soil 
party  for  the  Presidency,  and  was  the  leader  and  founder  of  that 
party  in  Missouri.  From  his  own  means,  chiefly,  he  established  a 
daily  paper  called  the  Barnburner,  the  name  given  to  the  Free-soil 
division  of  the  Democratic  party  in  the  State  of  New  York.  He 
was  the  editor  of  the  paper,  and  the  orator  of  the  party  in  its 
public  meetings.  This  paper  became  afterwards  the  Missouri  Demo- 
a-at,  a  successful  business  enterprise,  of  which  he  was  chief  owner ; 
but  he  gave  it  to  a  friend  to  secure  his  talents  to  the  cause  as  editor. 
He  supported  Mr.  Clay's  compromise  measures  of  1850,  by  which 
California  was  admitted  as  a  free  State,  and  New  Mexico  remained  a 
fi-ee  territory  under  the  Mexican  law.  He  was  elected  to  the  Missouri 
Legislature  in  1852,  the   only  Free-soiler  elected  that  year  to  the 

69 


FRANCIS      P.      BLAIR. 

Legislature,  and  the  only  man  elected  on  the  ticket  on  which  his 
name  was  found.     In  1854,  it  was  the  wish  of  many  of  his  party  to 
ran  him  for  Congress,  but,  ascertaining  that  some  of  Colonel  Benton's 
friends  desired  the  nomination  for  him,  Mr.  Blair  peremptorily  with- 
drew his  name,  although  Colonel  Benton  at  the  time  was  also  a  can- 
didate for  the  Senate  of  the  United  States.     Mj-.  Blair  became  a  can- 
didate for,  and  was  again  elected  to  the  Legislature.     In  1856,  he  was 
nominated  for  Congress,  and  defeated  Mr.  Kennett,  who  had  beaten 
Colonel  Benton  at  the  preceding  election,  by  a  large  vote.     Colonel 
Benton,  who  was  the  candidate  for  Governor  on  the  same  ticket,  in 
1856,  had  taken  ground  for  acquiescing  in  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri 
Compromise,  which  Mr.  Blair  had  publicly  refused  to  do.     Colonel 
Benton  thought  this  refusal  would  hurt  the  ticket,  and  urged  him 
earnestly  to  retract.     He  told  the  Colonel  he  would  agree  to  with- 
draw from  the  ticket,  but  he  could  not  acquiesce  in  the  repeal  of  the 
Missouri    Compromise,  and   he  would   not  support   Mr.  Buchanan 
for  the  Presidency.     He  entered  Congress,  as  he  had  entered  the 
Missouri  Legislature,  the  only  Free-soiler  from  a  Slave  State  in  the 
body.     His  first  speech  in  Congress  was  delivered  in  January,  1857. 
It  was  an  elaborate  discussion  of  th'e  Slave  question,  and  also  of  the 
Negro  question.     He  recalled  the  prophecy  of  Mr.  Jefferson :  that 
nothing  was  more  certainly  written  in  the  book  of  fate  than  that 
slavery  would  come  to  an  end,  and  that  it  would  end  in  blood  if  the 
Southern   people    did    not  obviate   that  catastrophe   by   adopting 
gradual  emancipation  and  colonization.     Mr.  Jefferson  had  also  said 
that  the  whites  and  black-s  could  not  live  together  as  equals.     Mr. 
Blair  insisted  that  the  time  liad  come  when  the  safety  of  the  South, 
and  the  good  of  the  whole  country,  required  that  a  system  of  coloni- 
zation should  be  instituted  by  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
in  some  neighboring  and  congenial  clime,  where  such  of  the  free 
blacks  as  chose  to  emigrate  should  have  lands  procured  for  them, 
and  where  they  should  be  protected  by  the  government  of  the  United 
States  in  such  form  of  government  as  they  might  establish  for  them- 
selves.   Such  a  colony  once  established,  emancipation  and  emigration 
would  take  place  gradually,  and  complete  emancipation  and  sepa- 
ration of  the  races  would  be  effected  in  the  course  of  a  few  gen- 
erations. 

No  speech  was  ever  delivered  in  Congress  which  produced  a 
gi-eater  impression  upon  the  country.  It  was  received  with  general 
approval  by  the  Eepublican  press ;  and  even  such  men  as  Gerritt 


FRANCIS      P.       BLAIB. 

Smith  and  Theodore  Parker  -warmly  approved  the  scheme.  The 
leading  Eepublicans  in  the  two  houses  gave  it  their  sanction,  and 
among  others  Senators  Wade,  Preston  King,  and  Trumbull.  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  also  approved  this  policy  at  the  time  it  was  announced, 
and  recommended  its  adoption  afterwards  as  President.  But  the 
Southern  leaders  identified  their  political  power  with  slavery ;  and 
hence,  what  their  fathers  all  recognized  as  an  evil,  they  had  come 
to  regard  as  their  most  precious  possession.  It  was  the  pedestal  of 
their  power,  and  they  resolved  not  only  to  maintain  it,  but  to  spread 
it  as  the  territory  of  the  Union  expanded,  or  withdraw  from  it,  and, 
therefore,  they  were  insensible  to  the  teachings  of  their  own 
most  revered  ancestoi's,  even  when  the  mutterings  of  the  fearful 
stonn  they  had  predicted  were  already  audible  throughout  the 
land. 

Mr.  Blair  was  re-elected  to  Congi-ess  in  1858  and  in  1860.  Colonel 
^eckham,  in  the  introduction  to  his  book,  entitled,  "  General  Lyon 
and  Missouri,  in  1861,"  (from  which  work  all  of  the  facts  hereinafter 
stated  relating  to  this  period  are  taken,)  thus  speaks  of  Mr.  Blair: 
"  The  leading  spirit  and  chief  adviser  of  the  Eepublicans,  in  1860 
and  1861,  was  Frank  Preston  Blair.  No  history  of  Missouri,  in  the 
momentous  crisis  of  1861,  can  possibly  be  complete  without  having 
that  name  stamped  upon  its  pages  in  splendid  coloring.  Himself  a 
Southerner  and  a  slaveholder,  the  stereotyped  cry  of  "Yankee 
Prejudice,"  "New  England  Education,"  and  "Nigger  Equality," 
could  not  be  raised  against  him  in  efforts  to  intensify  passions  and 
excite  hate.  His  own  personal  courage  and  coolness  silenced  the 
pretensions  of  the  insolent,  and  forced  opponents  from  the  employ- 
ment of  abuse  into  the  arena  of  debate.  Even  in  his  personal  inter- 
course with  opposing  partizans,  he  exhibited  not  only  the  courteous- 
ness  of  a  gentleman,  but  an  equanimity  of  temperament  and  appa 
rent  forgetfulness  really  wonderful.  The  antagonist  who  expected 
at  the  first  meeting  a  rupture,  because  of  bitter  attacks  made  on  Mr. 
Blair  in  recent  speeches,  was  surprised  at  the  placid  countenance 
and  nonchalance  of  manner  of  his  political  foe.  This  power  over 
self  made  Mr.  Blair  powerful  with  others.  Serving  a  great  cause  in 
the  interests  of  humanity,  warring  against  an  institution  deep  seated 
in  the  hearts  of  a  powerful  class,  he  knew  exactly  the  work  before 
him,  and  the  depths  of  feeling  he  would  necessarily  stir.  He  made 
it  his  purpose  to  disregard  passion,  and  to  answer  declamation  with 

argument     His  example  was  infused  into  his  partizans.     The  effect 

71 


FRANCIS      P.      BLAIR. 


was  visible  in  the  rapidly  increasing  strengtli  of  the  Eepublican 
brotherhood." 

Until  1860,  the  Free-soil  party  had  in  Missouri  been  known  as 
the  "  Free  Democracy ;''  but,  having  sent  a  full  delegation  to  the 
Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  in  that  year,  they  became  identi- 
fied with  that  organization.     This  gi-eatly  increased  the  bitterness  of 
feeling  towards  them,  and  put  their  leaders  in  constant  peril.     Even 
before  this  time,  Mr.  Blair  had  been  waylaid  by  two  assassins  and 
fired  upon  at  night  in  front  of  the  court-house  as  he  left  a  public 
meeting.     His  escape  on  this  occasion  was  really  wonderful.     On  a 
signal  given  by  a  confederate  stationed  at  the  door,  by  striking  the 
pavement  heavily  with  a  cane,  a  man  covered  by  the  darkness  ad- 
vanced to  within  a  few  feet  and  fired  four  shots  rapidly  at  Mr.  Blair. 
The   first  ball  passed  very  near  his  head.     Mr.    B.  immediately 
drew  a  double-ban-eled  pistol,  and  whilst  doing  so  threatened  vio- 
lently his  assailant,  who  retreated,  but  continued  firing.       Mr.  ^ 
fired  one  shot  at  him,  which  wounded  him  slightly.     His  other  shot 
he  resei-ved  for  the  confederate,  who  approached  rapidly,  but  fled 
when  Mr.  Blair  turned  upon  him.     Mr.  Blair  would  have  been  jus- 
tified, in  order  to  protect  himself,  in  hunting  down  these  wretches 
and  killing  them  like  wild  beasts,  as  party  feeling  was  such  that  the 
law  aflbrded  him  no  protection,  but  he  did  not  fear,   and  therefore 
spared,  them.     For  the  same  reason  he  subsequently  spared  a  person 
better  known  to  the  country,  who  came  from  Washington  heralded 
by  a  published  card  saying  he  came  to  call  Frank  Blair  to  account 
Just  at  this  time  this  man  received  a  fee  from  the  administratien  for 
some  imaginary  law  service.     It  is  believed  to  have  been,  in  fact,  a 
retainer  for  this  St  Louis  mission.     If  it  was,  the  administration  was 
cheated,  for  the  courage  of  their  champion  oozed  out  very  suddenly 
when  Mr.  Blair  confronted  him. 

But  after  the  inauguration  of  the  Lincoln  campaign,  it  became  im- 
possible to  hold  Republican  meetings,  without  an  organization  to  pro- 
tect them.  For  this  purpose  Mr.  Blair  organized  the  "  Wide  Awakes." 
Shortly  after  South  Carolina  seceded,  about  a  dozen  of  the  leaders  of 
the  organization  were  convened  to  talk  over  the  situation,  and  Mr. 
Blair  insisted  earnestly  that  a  military  organization  of  their  friends 
could  alone  save  the  city  and  the  arsenal,  which  contained  nearly  all 
the  arms  which  the  government  possessed  in  the  Valley  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. His  opinion  and  advice  was  ably  sustained  by  Mr.  Samuel 
T.  Glover.     Shortly  afterwards  what  is  called  the  "Parent  Company," 


72 


FRANCIS      P.       BLAIR. 


of  which  Mr.  Blair  was  chcsen  captain,  was  enrolled.  This  was 
quickly  extended  throughout  the  city,  and,  within  two  weeks,  1,442 
men  were  enrolled,  and  they  were  speedily  armed  with  muskets  and 
rifles  purchased  by  the  leaders  of  the  organization.  But,  as  the  organi- 
zation was  extended,  heavy  subscriptions  were  obtained  from  friends 
in  the  Eastern  States.  "  There  was,"  says  Colonel  Peckham,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  "  parent  company,"  and  afterwards  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  of  the  8th  Eegiment,  "  an  inside  and  an  outside  organization. 
The  latter  were  the  companies  themselves,  and  the  '  inside'  the  power 
which  controlled  them.  Mr.  Blair  was  President  of  the  inside  organi- 
zation." 

These  vigorous  measures  were  not  taken  a  moment  too  soon. 
The  Secession  "  Minute  Men  "  were  incorporated  into  the  Militia,  com- 
manded by  General  Frost,  an  ex-officer  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  of  high 
reputation  for  skill  and  efficiency,  in  thorough  sympathy  with  the 
South,  and  ready  to  seize  the  St.  Louis  Arsenal.  In  tliat  arsenal 
were  stored  60,000  stand  of  arms,  1,500,000  ball  cartridges,  with 
many  field-pieces  and  siege  guns,  extensive  machinery,  90,000  pounds 
of  powder,  and  much  other  material  of  war.  This  was  a  prize  more 
coveted  by  the  Secessionists  than  any  possession  the  government 
held.  Without  that  the  government  would  have  been  disarmed  in 
the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,  and  with  it  the  Secessionists  contem- 
plated fortifying  the  river  below  Cairo,  and  not  merely  holding 
Missouri  and  Kentucky,  but  seducing  Southern  Illinois  to  their 
cause.  Major  Bell,  who  was  in  chat^e  of  the  arsenal,  was  willing 
to  surrender  to  the  State  authorities.  Frost's  letter  to  this  effect 
was  discovered  at  the  Capitol,  after  the  Governor's  flight.  On  the 
8th  of  January,  Frost  issued  a  secret  order  informing  his  command 
that  their  instant  assembly  was  required  upon  a  certain  signal  which 
should  be  given  by  church  bells.  This  circular,  although  secretly 
cn-culated,  did  not  escape  the  vigilance  of  Mr.  Blair,  who  understood 
it,  and  prepared  to  meet  the  attempt  on  the  arsenal  which  it 
foreshadowed. 

Although  without  color  of  legality  for  his  military  organiza- 
tion, (the  national.  State  and  city  governments  being  in  hos- 
tile hands,)  and  confronted  by  one  created  and  commanded 
by  General  Frost  in  accordance  with  law,  such  was  the 
confidence  of  his  associates  in  his  judgment,  watchfulness, 
and  coolness  in  danger,  that  his  authority  was  absolute.  This 
is    the    testimony  of  Colonel    Peckham    who  was   one    of  those 


FRANCIS      P.      BLAIR. 

who  voluuiarily  subjected  themselves  to  Mr.  Blair's  command, 
in  those  dark  days,  with  no  fear  of  being  exposed  to  useless  peril 
by  either  the  rashness  or  timidity  of  their  leader,  and  ready  to  be 
sacrificed  if  necessary  to  prevent  the  seizure  of  those  arms  upon 
which  the  relations  of  great  States  to  the  Union  certainly  depended, 
and  which,  therefore,  might  involve  the  fate  of  the  Union  itself 
And  no  one  can  read  the  minute  details  given  by  Colonel  Peckham 
without  being  filled  with  admiration  for  ihe  skill  and  courage  by 
which  Mr.  Blair  postponed  the  rebel  attack,  whilst  his  military  or- 
ganization was  unauthorized,  and  immediately  surprised  and  cap- 
tured the  beleaguering  forces  under  General  Fi'ost,  as  soon  as  his 
troops  were  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States.  He 
kept  General  Scott  minutely  advised  of  the  situation,  through  letters 
written  to  his  brother,  and  read  to  the  General,  and  thus  procured 
the  order,  first  of  Sweeney's  company  from  Newport,  Kentucky,  in 
January,  and  then  of  Lyon's  company  from  Fort  Scott,  in  February. 
These  ofiicers  were  advised  in  advance  that  application  would  be 
made  for  them,  and  urged  to  be  prepared  to  move  instantly.  These 
arrivals  and  the  removal  of  Bell,  and,  above  all,  the  certainty  with 
which  the  rebels  were  impressed  that  they  could  not  take  the  arsenal 
without  a  bloody  battle  with  a  numerous,  resolute,  and  well-armed 
foe,  deterred  them. 

The  Legislature  met  on  the  31st  December,  1860,  and  prepared 
at  once  for  Secession  by  passing  military  bills  to  force  it  on,  and 
calling  a  convention  for  Febraary  to  pronounce  it  It  was  a  principal 
point  of  policy  with  them  to  make  the  issue  in  the  election  one 
between  Secession  and  Abolition,  and  thus  to  combine  the  Bell  and 
Everett,  and  the  Breckenridge  and  Douglas  parties,  which  cast 
146,000  votes,  against  the  Eepublican  party,  which  cast  less  than 
20,000  votes  in  the  election  of  1860.  More  than  half  of  this  vote 
was  cast  in  St.  Louis,  where  Mr.  Blair  had  been  elected  to  Congress, 
and  he  would,  if  he  had  thought  only  of  his  own  importance,  or 
listened  to  many  of  his  friends,  have  insisted  on  taking  the  control 
of  the  nominations  in  that  county  for  the  Eepublican  party. 

This  was  the  feeling  of  many  of  his  associates.  But  Mr.  Blair 
said  this  would  play  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy ;  and  when  an 
ardent  Republican  said,  "  I  don't  believe  in  breaking  up  the  Repub- 
lican party  just  to  please  these  tender-footed  Unionists,"  Mr.  Blair 
replied,  "Let  us  have  a  Countrt  first,  and  then  we  can  talk  about 

parties."     In  pursuance  of  this  policy  he  gave  the  lead  in  St  Louis 

74 


FRANCIS      P.     BLAIR. 


to  the  Bell  and  Everett  and  Douglas  Unionists,  though  they  were 
but  a  small  body  comparatively  in  that  locality.  On  a  ticket  of 
fourteen  names  for  the  convention,  there  were  but  four  very  moderate 
Eeijublicans.  Mr.  Blair  said  in  a  speech,  in  support  of  this  ticket, 
that  he  was  for  a  7rewpa,rtj — a  party  that  would  stand  by  the  Union, 
and  hold  St.  Louis  in  the  Union,  even  if  the  State  attempted  to 
secede.  This  movement  was  decisive  not  only  in  St  Louis,  which 
was  carried  by  a  two-third  vote,  but  it  shaped  the  contest  in  the 
State  also  where  it  was  equally  decisive. 

His  refusal  to  accept  the  Brigadier-Generalship  tendered  to  him 
by  the  President,  on  the  recommendation  of  General  Scott,  for  the 
capture  of  Camp  Jackson,  is  another  striking  illustration  of  the  gen- 
erosity of  his  nature,  and  of  the  entire  subordination  of  his  personal 
ambition  to  the  public  interests.  Immediately  after  the  capture  of 
Camp  Jackson,  he  recommended  that  Captain  Lyon,  by  whose  pro- 
fessional skill  that  movement  had  been  conducted,  should  be  made 
a  Brigadier-General  for  the  achievement.  Btrt  General  Scott  op- 
posed the  appointment.  Mr.  Blair  had  organized  the  force,  and  had 
insisted  on  the  capture  against  the  remonstrances  of  all  his  friends, 
and  had  been  held  responsible  for  it  by  friends  and  foes.  This  was 
true,  but  Lyon  had  done  the  professional  work  well  and  cordially, 
and  was  entitled  to  the  professional  honors  for  the  achievement,  and 
Mr.  Blair  refused  peremptorily  to  accept  what  belonged  to  Lyoa 
Lyon  had  been  put  in  command  at  his  instance,  and  he  insisted  that 
he  should  have  the  proper  rewards  belonging  to  the  command. 

But,  why, did  not  Mr.  Blair  himself  take  the  command?  He 
commanded  a  regiment  on  the  occasion,  and  was  the  mark  at  which 
the  only  shots  fired  by  the  rebels  that  day  were  aimed ;  and  Mr. 
Bates  said  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  often  in  those  days  that  he  looked  at  the 
papers  every  morning,  expecting  to  see  that  Colonel  Blair  had  been 
shot  the  day  before  in  the  streets  of  St.  Louis.  The  reason  was  that 
whilst  Mr.  Blair  felt  -it  to  be  important  that  the  actual  commander 
should  have  the  benefit  of  his  knowledge  and  counsel,  and  be  sup- 
ported by  his  influence  in  Missouri  and  in  Washington,  it  was  better 
on  account  of  the  state  of  political  feeling  in  Missouri,  that  the 
command  should  be  exercised  by  an  officer  of  the  regular  army. 
The  rebels  taunted  iLe  Unionists  with  being  '' Frank- Blair  men,'"  to 
prevent  his  old  political  opponents  from  supporting  the  government. 

There  was  great  indisposition  on  the  part  of  many  of  the  truest 
friends  of  the  government  in  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion  to  act 


75 


FRANCIS      P.     BLAIR. 

with  vigor  against  it.  Many  hoped  tliat  some  means  would  yet  be 
found  to  avoid  war ;  others  were  apprehensive  that  the  democracy, 
which  constituted  nearly  half  the  Northern  people,  would  resist  any 
attempt  at  coercion  upon  the  South.  Others  could  not  be  made  to 
discredit  the  professions  of  Unionism  with  which  many  of  the  most 
dangerous  enemies  of  the  government  covered  their  designs  ag:iinst  it. 
This  feeling  entered  largely  into  that  Union  element  in  Missouri 
drawn  from  the  old  parties  which  it  was  necessary  to  reorganize  and 
give  prominence  to  in  oi'der  to  vote  down  Secession.  Mr.  Gamble, 
who  became  the  Provisional  Governor,  was  one  of  the  best  represen- 
tative men  of  this  class.  He  was  a  very  able  lawyer  and  judge,  of 
the  old  Whig  school  in  politics,  a  Virginian  by  birth,  but  a  resident 
in  Missouri  for  forty  years. 

General  Harney,  of  the  army,  a  Tennesseean  by  birth,  who  had 
married  a  lady  belonging  to  one  of  the  old  families  of  the  city,  was 
in  command  of  the  department  till  within  a  few  days  prior  to  the 
capture  of  Camp  Jackson,  and  had  been  removed  from  command 
because  distrusted  by  the  active  Unionists.  He  was  captured  by 
the  rebels  on  the  railway  train  in  Virginia,  on  his  way  to  Washing- 
ton to  get  reinstated,  but  was  released  by  them.  By  the  advice  of  Mr. 
.  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  who  prepared  the  letter  for  him,  he  addressed  a 
published  letter  to  Colonel  John  O'Fallon,  of  St  Louis,  taking 
strong  ground  against  Secession.  Mr.  Gamble  and  his  fiiends,  and 
amongst  them  Mr.  Bates,  supported  him,  and  he  was  reinstated  in 
command  by  Mr.  Cameron  without  the  consent  of  the  President,  or 
of  the  Postmaster-General,  who  was  entitled  to  be  heard  because  of 
his  former  residence  in  Missouri,  his  constant  coirespondence 
and  his  active  co-operation  witli  the  Union  men  there  from 
the  beginning.  Harney's  restoration  was  received  with  great  joy  by 
the  disunionists,  and  proportionate  sorrow  by  the  friends  of  the 
government.  He  immediately  opened  negotiations  with  the  rebels, 
the  effect  of  which  was  to  tie  the  hands  of  thfe  Unionists,  who  were 
outraged  and  driven  away  from  their  homes  in  crowds  from  the  inte- 
rior of  the  State.  Mr.  Blair,  and  other  friends  of  the  government 
insisted  on  his  removal,  and,  finally,  the  order  was  sent  under  cover 
to  Mr.  Blair,  with  a  letter  from  the  President,  urging  him  to  forbear 
to  use  it  if  possible,  and  putting  the  responsibility  upon  him.  He 
could  not  forbear  long,  although  averse  to  thwart  the  President's 
wishes,  and  unwilling  to  wound  Harney's  feelings.  But  it  was  mani- 
fest that  if  true,  he  was  utterly  incompetent  to  deal  with  the  wily 

7G 


FRANCIS      P.     BLAIR. 

and  treacherous  commander  of  the  State  troops.     As  soon  as  this  re- 
moval was  announced,  the  railroad  bridges  between  St  Louis  and  Jef- 
ferson were  destroyed.     To  relieve  the  people,  Lyon  was  compelled 
to  move  against  Price  by  steamers  up  the  Missouri  River.     The 
State  troops  retreated  to  Booneville,  where  the  first  battle  took  place, 
on  the  17th  of  June,  1861.     Lyon's  force  consisted  of  two  regiments, 
one  of  which  was  Colonel  Blair's,  and  a  company  of  regulars — in 
all  about  2,000  men.     Price  had  about  4,000  men.     The  rebels  did 
not  stand  long  before  the  steady  fire  opened  upon  them  in  their 
selected  position,  but  retreated,  leaving  all  their  camp  equipage  and 
large  numbei's  of  prisoners.     General  Lyon  had  not  the  transporta- 
tion to  pursue  Price  and  Jackson  in  their  flight  towards  the  South- 
west.    Colonel  Blah-  advised  him  to  impress  a  large  number  of 
wagons  with  which  a  colony  of  Mormons  were  making  their  way  to 
Salt  Lake,  and  pursue  and  capture  the  fugitives.     But  he  told  Colonel 
Blair  that  if  he  had  had  his  experience  with  the  red  tape  of  the  War 
Department,  he  would  not  advise  him  to  venture  on  such  a  step ! 
Colonel  Blair  shortly  afterwards  left  his  regiment  to  take  his  seat  in 
Congress,  summoned  to  meet  on  the  4th  of  July.     He  was  made 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Military  Affairs,  and  cairied  through 
the  House  all  the  war  measures.     After  he  left  St.  Louis,  the  Mis- 
souri Democrat  wound  up  a  long  article,  reciting  his  services  in  these 
words:  "The  traitors  of  Missouri  are  overthrown.     The  State  is 
safe,  and  has  been  saved  by  a  stroiie  of  genius,  with  little  bloodshed, 
from  the  horrors  of  a  protracted  conflict.     The  '  indiscretion'  of  a 
far-reaching  sagacity,  and  a  lofty  courage  in  a  single  man,  has  done 
the  work.     We  do  believe  that  the  same  policy  would  have  saved 
Virginia,  Tennessee,  and  Arkansas  from  Secession ;  hut,  they  had  no 
such  man^ 

Bull  Run  and  Fremont  changed  all  this — our  defeat  in  Virginia 
revived  the  confidence  of  the  rebels,  and  Fremont's  incapacity 
sacrificed  Lyon  at  Springfield,  and  Mulligan  at  Lexington.  From 
the  25th  of  July,  when  he  arrived  at  St  Louis  and  took  command, 
till  the  2nd  of  November,  when  he  was  relieved,  he  did  nothing  but 
waste  the  means  of  the  Government  About  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber, Mr.  Blair  recommended  his  removal  for  incapacity,  and  preferred 
charges  against  him  for  corruption  in  office.  His  accomplice, 
McKinstry,  though  less  guilty,  was  tried  and  cashiered ;  but  Fremont 
did  not  ask  a  trial,  and  was  not  tried,  because  his  conviction  would 

77 


FRANCIS      P.     BLAIB.. 

have  been  regarded  as  a  persecution  for  his  emancipation  procla- 
mation by  many  earnest  Kepublicans. 

Mr.  Blair  had  previously  given  offence  to  all  but  the  most  decisive 
union  men.  The  rebels,  of  course,  hated  him  and  the  moderate  union 
men,  represented  by  Governor  Gamble  and  Mr.  Bates,  were  dissatis- 
fied, because  of  his  support  of  Lyon.  Fremont  had,  however,  pro- 
claimed martial  law  in  St  Louis,  and  the  newspaper  organs  of  these 
classes  were  compelled  to  speak  with  bated  breath.  But,  when  Mr. 
Blair  struck  at  Fremont,  they  were  unmu;5zled,  and  all  burst  out  in 
full  cry  against  biin,  lead  on  by  the  Eepublican  organ — the  Bemocrai 
— the  paper  which  he  himself  had  founded  and  presented  to  the 
Editor.  Thus,  within  three  months,  the  man  who  had  left  his  home, 
covered  with  victory  and  honor,  hailed  as  the  aviour  of  his  people 
from  the  horrors  of  civil  bloodshed,  found  himself  without  a  party, 
and  a  prisoner — for  Fremont  had  arrested  him  for  writing  to  the 
President — and  universally  denounced  by  the  public  press,  and  es- 
pecially by  that  press  which  had  most  exalted  him.  Why  was  this  ? 
Certainly  he  had  not  faltered  in  any  duty,  abandoned  any  principle, 
or  ceased  to  give  his  whole  soul  to  the  cause  of  the  Union.  Nor 
had  he  sought  his  own  elevation.  He  had  declined  the  Brigadier- 
Generalship  offered  by  General  Scott,  and  he  had  again  declined 
that  advancement  from  Fremont 

The  secret  of  this  sudden  revulsion  of  feeling  against  Mr.  Blair 
lies  in  the  pollution  infused  into  the  Republican  leaders  in  Missouri 
by  Fremont,  and  the  flock  of  California  vultures  who  followed  him 
there;  and  it  has,  clung  to  the  organization  from  that  hour  like  the 
shirt  of  Nessus.  Whilst  that  organization  had  been  inspired  by 
Frank  Blair,  and  lead  in  battle  by  Lyon,  the  Eebellion  had  been 
overthrown  and  driven  to  the  remotest  corners  of  the  State  by  their 
own  efforts,  and  almost  without  means  or  countenance  from  the  gov- 
ernment, and  in  the  very  outset  of  the  administration ;  but  with  the 
advent  of  Fremont  came  lavish  and  wastefid  expenditures,  contracts 
for  clothing,  arms,  provisions,  horses,  etc.,  in  which  politicians  drove 
a  brisk  business  for  themselves  and  others.  The  era  of  patriotism 
and  Frank  Blah  had  passed  away,  and  that  of  plunder  and  Fremont 
had  succeeded.  But  the  orators  and  presses  of  the  country  had  made 
a  deep  lodgement  for  Fremont  in  the  hearts  of  the  Eepublican  masses 
in  1856.  This  had  been  greatly  strengthened  by  his  emancipation 
proclamation,  annulled  by   Mr.  Lincoln.      That  class  particularly, 

since  known  as  Radicals,  were  predisposed  to  sustain  him,  and  to  re- 

78 


FRANCIS      P.     BLAIR. 

gard  any  charges  against  him  as  unfounded.  And  accordingly,  the 
Eepublican  press  generally  did  sustain  him,  not  only  against  Mr. 
Blair,  but  against  the  President  himself,  when  finally  he  was  forced 
to  remove  him,  and.  to  send  a  commission  to  St  Louis,  headed  by 
Judge  Davis,  to  protect  the  Treasury  fi-om  his  fraudulent  contracts. 
Mr.  Winter  Davis  and  Mr.  Colfax,  and  other  leaders  of  that  faction 
of  the  party,  lost  no  time,  on  the  assembling  of  Congress  in  December, 
in  throwing  down  the  gauntlet  to  the  Administration  and  to  Mr. 
Blair.  It  was  a  long  and  arduous  session  to  him.  The  Democratic 
opposition  was  powerful,  and  lead  with  skill  by  able  men,  and  the 
Eadicals  were  bitter  for  the  removal  of  Fremont,  and  the  retention  of 
McClellan. 

In  response  to  a  request  by  General  McClellan,  Mr.  Blair  gave 
him,  in  writing,  and  in  detail,  his  views  on  the  best  mode  of  con- 
ducting the  War.  He  advised  that  his  great  operations  should  be 
conducted  from  the  West,  and  that  he  should  come  into  Eichmond, 
as  he  expressed  it,  "by  the  back  door,"  first  opening  the  Mississippi 
river,  which  would  itself  break  the  back-bone  of  the  Eebellion.  The 
result  of  the  war  has  verified  the  soundness  of  this  view  in  a  remark- 
able manner.  McClellan  and  Grant  both  failed  in  the  "  on  to  Eich- 
mond" plan,  and  it  was  not  until  FaiTagut,  and  Grant  leading  western 
men,  Mr.  Blair  among  them,  had  opened  the  Mississippi,  and  Sherman 
had  marched  from  the  West  into  North  Carolina,  that  Eichmond  fell. 

The  most  gloomy  period  ot  the  War  was  fi-om  the  2nd  of  July, 
1862, — the  date  of  McClellan's  retreat  to  Harrison's  Landing, — and 
the  18th  of  September,  the  date  of  his  victory  at  Antietam.  The  peo- 
ple were  greatly  disheartened,  and  extraordinary  efibrts  were  required 
to  procure  enlistments.  Among  other  means  resorted  to,  the  Admin- 
istration sought  to  avail  itself  of  the  popularity  of  the  leaders  in  Con- 
gress, and  Mr.  Blair,  among  others,  was  applied  to,  and  most  earnestly 
urged  by  Mr.  Stanton, Secretary  of  War,  to  raise  troops  to  be  lead  by 
himself  in  the  field.  He  complied  at  once,  and  in  a  short  time  raised 
seven  regiments,  was  commissioned  a  Brigadier-General  and  joined 
Sherman's  command.  In  the  first  attack  on  Vicksburg  he  lead  the 
assault  on  the  enemies'  works  at  Chickasaw  Bluffs  made  on  the  29th 
of  December,  1862.  He  entered  the  works  at  the  head  of  his  Brigade 
and  drove  out  the  enemy  ;  but  he  was  not  supported,  and  the  enemy 
being  heavily  re-enforced,  returned  and  dislodged  liim.  It  was  a  very 
desperate  struggle,  and  General  Blair's  courage  and  conduct  were 

conspicuous.     He  was  the  last  to  leave  the  works,  and  his  bearing  was 

79 


FRANCIS      P.     BLAIR. 

SO  gallant  and  so  excited  the  admiration  of  the  enemy  as  he  marched 
slowly  and  alone  (his  horse  having  been  shot  under  him)  down  the  hill 
under  their  fire,  that  they  ceased  to  fire  on  him.  This  is  the  state- 
ment of  their  commanding  ofiicer,  who  adds,  that  they  ascertained  his 
name  from  his  orderly,  who  was  badly  wounded  at  his  side,  and  fell 
into  their  hands.  His  conduct  was  also  the  theme  of  admiration  in 
the  Union  army,  and  even  the  correspondent  of  the  Missouri  Democrat, 
which  had  become  so  inimical,  says,  "  the  heaviest  loss  (in  this  battle) 
was  in  General  Blair's  Brigade.  This  Brigade  acted  most  heroically, 
and  General  Blair  showed  himself  an  able  and  brave  commandei-." 
He  participated  in  the  capture  of  Arkansas  Post  on  the  10th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1863,  by  General  McClernand,  his  Brigade  forming  part  of 
Steele's  Division,  of  the  15th  Corps  (Sherman's),  which  McClernand 
reports  as  very  effective  and  ably  commanded  on  the  occasion.  For 
this  sei-vice  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major-General,  and 
assigned  to  the  command  of  the  division,  and  took  an  active  part  in 
all  the  operations  which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Vjcksburg  on  the 
4th  of  July,  1863.  He  was  on  several  occasions  intrusted  with 
separate  commands  by  Grant,  whose  confidence  in  his  capacity  as  a 
commander  grew  steadily  till  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  pronounced 
him  the  best  of  the  volunteer  Generals.  He  succeeded  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  15th  CorjDS,  when  Sherman  was  promoted  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  He  marched  his  Coi-ps  to 
Tennessee  when  Grant  took  command  there,  relieved  Knoxville  with 
it,  and  commanded  it  in  the  battle  of  Chattanooga,  where  it  bore  the 
brunt  of  the  battle. 

After  that  battle,  which  took  place  in  December,  and  when  militaiy 
operations  were  suspended,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  army, 
(having  been  requested  to  do  so  by  Mr.  Lincoln,)  and  took  his  seat 
in  Congress,  with  the  understanding  that  when  military  operations 
should  be  resumed,  he  could  withdi-aw  his  resignation  and  resume 
his  duties  as  a  Corps  commander.  He  had  been  re-elected  by  a  large 
majority,  defeating  both  the  Eadical  and  the  Democratic  candidate. 
The  President  himself  communicated  the  letter  containing 
his  request  to  General  Blair,  to  the  House  of  Kepresentetives,  in 
response  to  a  resolution  of  enquiry  passed  in  April,  1864,  after  the 
assignment  of  the  General  to  the  command  of  the  17th  Corps.  It  was 
understood  by  Gen.  Blair  to  be  an  appeal  by  Mr.  Lincoln  to  him  for 
help.  The  President,  in  fact,  needed  his  support  in  the  House.  The 
issue  had  already  been  made  between  the  President  and  the  Eadicals 

80 


FKANCIS      P.      BLAIR. 

on  reconstruction,  and  Mr.  Chase  was  pitted  against  him  as  their  caa- 
didate  for  nomination  before  the  regular  Republican  Convention ;  and 
to  force  that  Convention  they  nominated  Fremont  at  Cleveland  as  an 
independant  candidate,  to  be  withdrawn  if  Chase  was  nominated  at 
Baltimore.  There  was  no  one  in  the  House  who  would  defend  the 
plan  which  Mr.  Lincoln,  in  the  proclamation  of  the  8th  of  December, 
had  adopted  for  reconstruction.  The  Republican  speakers  in  the 
House,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Blair,  were  opposed  to  it,  and  it 
was  attacked  with  great  vigor  and  ability  by  Mr.  Stephens,  Mr.  Davis, 
and  others.  Mr.  Blair  answered  them  in  a  conclusive  constitutional 
argument  on  the  5  th  of  February. 

But,  whilst  the  reconstruction  issue  was  the  doctrine  on  which  the 
Radical  party  finally  consolidated,  and  was  then  gathering  strength 
to  defeat  Lincoln's  nomination,  it  started  into  life  with  his  annulment 
of  Fremont's  proclamation,  strengthened  with  the  removal  of  Fre- 
mont and  became  a  chronic  discontent  with  every  military  officer  he 
entrusted  with  command  in  Missouri,  and  with  every  civil  o&cer 
in  whom  he  had  confidence.  They  were  especially  severe  towards 
the  Blairs,  who  supported  Lincoln's  policy,  and  advocated  his 
renomination. 

Mr.  Chase  had  openly  taken  part  with  the  Radicals,  and  one  of  his 
subordinates  took  occasion,  at  St  Louis,  to  make  the  most  gross  and  ri- 
diculously false  charges  against  General  Blair.  His  partizans  in 
Missouri  had  organized  a  grand  committee  of  seventy,  which  moved 
on  Washington,  ha\'ing  its  progress  chronicled  throughout  the  country 
in  the  most  sensational  style,  and  waited  on  the  President  to  lay  be- 
fore him  and  the  country  the  wrongs  which  the  Union  men  of  Mis- 
souri were  suffering  at  the  hands  of  General  Schofield,  who  was 
characterized  as  a  rebel  sympathizer.  Having  spent  their  malice  on 
the  President,  they  waited  on  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to 
express  their  thanks  for  his  sympathy  in  their  grievances  and  efforts  to 
relieve  them,  and  toasted  him  as  the  man  for  the  times,  and  to  whom 
the  true  Union  men  looked  as  their  candidate. 

It  was  necessary  that  Mr.  Blair  should  defend  himself,  and  defend 

the  President,  and  he  did  so  very  effectually.     In  a  speech,  on  the 

27th  of  February,  he  dissected  the  Jacobins  of  Missouri  and  Maryland, 

and  showed  that  their  leaders  in  Missouri  had  been  secessionists  till 

Jackson  was  driven  out,  and  the  danger- was  over,  and  that  Mr.  Davis 

the  leader  in  Maryland,  who  now  complained  of  Lincoln's  hesitation 

81 


FE  ANCIS      P.      BLAIR. 


about  slavery  had  denounced  his  administration  at  Brooklyn  for  its 
anti-slavery  policy  within  two  years. 

Having  called  for  a  committee,  which,  though  appointed  by 
Colfax,  exploded  the  charges  made  by  Mr.  Chase's  subordinate  against 
him,  he  asked  for  a  committee  to  set  on  the  charges  which  he  prefered 
against  the  Secretaiy.  Bat  Mr.  Chase's  friends  opposed,  and  defeated 
the  proposed  enquiry.  Mr.  Blair  had  collected  a  mass  of  testimony 
showing  the  greatest  abuses  and  frauds  and  favoritism  in  the  ex- 
ecution of  the  law  relating  to  intercoursa  with  the  rebellious  States. 
This  he  proceeded  to  detail  amidst  interuptions  from  the  Speaker 
aud  Mr.  Chase's  friends  on  the  floor,  and  amidst  a  scene  of  excite- 
ment rarely  ever  witnessed  in  the  House.  The  charges  were  of  a  charac- 
ter and  were  supported  in  a  manner  that  it  was  folly  to  attempt  to  stifle, 
and  the  attempt  then  made  by  Mr.  Chase's  friends  was  fatal  to  his 
candidacy.     He  had  Congress,  but  did  not  carry  a  State. 

Gen.  Blair  then  took  the  command  of  his  Corps,  and  conducted  it 
throughout  that  celebraterl  and  arduous  march  to  the  sea,  and  along  the 
coast,  which  terminated  the  war  in  North  Carolina,  and  ended  in  the 
grand  review  in  Washington  City.     No  Cor^DS  of  the  Army  did  more 
marciiing  or  fighting  than  the  17th  in  that  memorable  campaign.     It  is 
impossible  in  such  a  sketch  as  this  to  give  any  account  of  its  services 
or  of  its  organization.     It  may  be  remarked,  however,  that  whilst 
the  record  of  its  service  is  unsurpassed  by  that  of  any  other  body  of 
men  which  engaged  in  this  conflict, — and  it  was  by  many  thought  to 
be  the  crack  Corps  of  the  Army,— it  had  not  the  advantage  of  having 
a  single  regular  officer  in  it.     Its  fighting  at  Atlanta,  on  the  22nd  of 
July,  never  was  excelled.     It  held  the  extreme  left  of  our  line,  and 
was  the  more  exposed  at  the   moment  because  our  cavalry  was 
away    breaking    up    a    railroad.      Hood,    who     had    just    super- 
seded Johnston  as  Confederate  commander,  adopted  the  hazardous 
expedient  of  withdrawing  Hardee's  Corps  in  front  of  Thomas,  and 
marching  it  at  night  to  the  rear  of  the  17th  Corps,  intending  to  pour 
out  upon  it  another  Corps  from    the    city   simultaneously,   whilst 
attacking   also    Logan's    Corps    to    the    right    of    the    17th;    and 
the    movement    came    near    being    successful.        The    centre    of 
Logan's    Corps    was    driven    from    its    position,    so  that   for  the 
moment   the    17th   Corps  was  unsupported   on   the   right,   and    on 
the  left  it  was  overwhelmed,  by  Hardee's  flank  movement,  and  lost 
a  whole  regiment.     But  it  stood  its  ground  and  drove  off  Hardee. 
It  had  hardlv  done  so  when  it  had  to  'bout  face  and  receive  the 

83 


FRANCIS      P.      BLAIB. 

Confederate  Coi-ps  which  poured  out  from  the  city.  It  repelled 
this  attack  only  in  time  to  turn  about  and  receive  a  second  attack 
from  Hardee.  It  continued  to  fight  in  this  manner  the  whole  day, 
but  gradually  swung  round  on  its  right  as  a  pivot  till  it  drove  Har- 
dee from  its  rear  and  came  into  line  with  the  16th  Corps,  which 
had  come  to  its  support.  On  the  next  morning  more  than  2,000 
Confederate  dead  were  found  on  the  gi'ound  which  had 
been  fought  over  by  the  17th  Corps.  It  was  the  steady 
courage  of  the  men  that  carried  them  through  this  terrible  conflict 
But  even  that  would  not  have  availed  had  they  not  been  aided  by 
the  foresight  and  skill  of  their  commander  in  taking  from  the  enemy 
the  evening  before,  at  some  sacrifice  of  life,  a  position  on  the  right, 
which  enabled  him  to  sweep  his  ffont  and  rear  with  artillery  on  the 
22nd.  This,  and  the  gradual  shifting  of  his  line  and  the  heroic 
courage  of  the  men  and  officers,  saved  the  Corps  and  the  army. 

At  Bentonville,  N.  C,  the  fight  commenced  by  an  attack  on  Slo- 
cum's  corps  on  the  left  The  17th  was  moving  to  Wilmington, 
at  some  distance  to  the  right  Moving  promptly  to  the  rescue  at  the 
sound  of  the  guns,  Gen.  B.  had  got  in  the  rear  of  Johnston,  and  one 
of  his  divisions  almost  into  Johnston's  camp,  and  must  have  cap- 
tured him  there,  but  that  Sherman,  not  being  advised  of  the  situa- 
tion, sent  a  peremjDtory  order  to  withdraw.  He  captured  Pocotalago, 
in  South  Carolina,  a  strong  work  which  had  repelled  several  previ- 
ous attacks  fi-om  the  coast,  and  was  thought  to  be  impregnable. 
South  Carolina  was  thought  to  be  impenetrable,  from  its  swamps 
and  fortified  causeways.  But  he  flanked  the  causeways  with  new 
ones  easily  made,  and  with  little  delay  by  his  western  axe-men, 
under  the  protection  of  tlie  heavy  timber  and  brushwood  of  the 
swamps. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  without  means.  He  had  spent  a 
handsome  fortune  in  the  struggle  with  the  rebellion.  His  father  had 
given  him  some  means  when  he  settled  in  St  Louis,  and  he  was  suc- 
cessful in  his  profession,  and  had  invested  his  means  in  property  which 
rapidly  advanced,  so  that  when  he  commenced  his  battle  with  Secesr 
sion  he  was  wealthy.  He  expended  his  money  without  stint  in 
sujiporting  the  Press,  withdrew  from  his  profession,  loaned  money 
to  his  political  friends,  and  assumed  liabilities  for  them.  These  were 
crowded  upon  him  when  the  war  came,  and  reduced  the  value  of  his 
property,  and  it  had  to  be  sacrificed. 

Having  to  start  the  world  anew  with  a  large  family  of  young 

8o 


FRANCIS      P.      BLAIR. 

children  to  support,  be  undertook  planting  in  Mississippi ;  but  the 
army  worm  and  the  govenrment  tax  made  that  unsuccessful.  And rew 
Johnson  nominated  him  to  the  office  of  Collector  of  Internal  Eevenue 
at  St.  Louis,  but  the  Eadicals  in  the  Senate  promptly  rejected  him. 
He  then  gave  him  the  place  of  Commissioner  on  the  Pacific  Eail- 
road,  and,  although  he  was  on  his  way  to  inspect  a  division  of  the 
road  at  the  time  of  Grant's  inauguration,  it  y\'-as  among  the  first,  if 
not  the  very  first,  official  act  of  Grant  to  remove  him. 

He  entered  vigorously  on  the  work  of  redeeming  Missouri  fi-om 
Eadical  dominion  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  canvassed  the  State 
thoroughly.  Freedom  of  speech  had  been  abolished  in  the  State  for 
years.  Tlie  disfranchising  constitution  had  been  put  into  ojDcration  by 
false  election  returns,  and  despotism  prevailed  everywhere  outside 
of  St.  Louis.  No  one  else  dared  attempt  to  speak  of  constitutional 
rights  to  the  people ;  and  it  was,  in  fact,  attended  with  more  personal 
danger  to  him  than  actual  war.  The  Eadical  power  depended  upon 
repressing  free  speech,  and  despotism  is  not  scrupulous  of  life  to 
preserve  its  power.  It  was  possible  for  him  to  confront  it,  because 
now,  as  under  Buchanan's  administration,  there  was  a  body  of  men 
in  Missouri  who  would  follow  and  stand  by  him  in  support  of 
right,  either  against  rebel  or  Eadical  despotism.  After  several  very 
disorderly  meetings,  the  crisis  was  brought  on  at  Warrensburgh. 
There  an  organized  and  armed  gang  broke  into  the  meeting,  and  the 
leader  marched  through  the  people  straight  upon  the  speaker,  at 
whom  he  had  drawn  and  aimed  his  pistol,  when  his  bowels  were 
ripped  open  with  a  bowie  knife  by  a  devoted  friend  of  the  speaker, 
and  he  fell  dead.  Others  of  the  gang  were  badly  wounded,  and  all 
were  driven  off.  The  corpse  was  removed,  and  Gen.  Blair  continued 
and  finished  his  speech.  One  other  slight  demonstration  was  made 
on  another  occasion  to  stop  his  speaking,  but  that  was  promptly  sup- 
pressed also,  and  free  speech  was  re-established  in  Missom-i.  It  re- 
mained to  restore  popular  government,  and  to  do  this  without  vio- 
lence it  was  necessary  to  bear  with  the  fraudulent  counting  of  the 
existing  officials.  In  time  the  honest  portion  of  the  Eepublican  party 
were  revolted  at  this  scandalous  system,  and  broke  from  the  organi- 
zation, and  their  leader,  B.  Gratz  Brown,  was  elected  Governor  by 
the  aid  of  Democratic  votes.  This  uprising  of  the  people  brought 
Gen.  Blair  into  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  in  January,  1871, 
to  which  he  was  elected  by  about  thirty  majority,  more  than  half  of 

his  majority  being  Eepublicans. 

84 


FRANCIS      P.      BLAIR. 

In  this  contest  tbe  Radicals  supported  ex-Senator  Henderson,  who 
had  voted  against  them,  and  with  Mr.  Blair  in  the  recent  election. 
Mr.  Henderson  made  great  use  in  this  Senatorial  contest  of  what  is 
known  as  "  the  Broadhead  letter,^'  written  in  1868.  In  that  letter 
Mr.  Blair  had  taken  the  ground  that  the  reconstruction  measures  were 
wholly  unconstitutional,  and  that  the  Democratic  party  should,  in 
this  election  of  '68,  submit  the  question  to  the  people  distinctly 
whether  the  Carpet-Bag  governments  established  by  those  meas- 
ures should  stand ;  that  he  was  in  favor  of  using  the  army  which 
had  put  these  governments  up  to  put  them  down,  and  allowing  the 
people  of  the  Southern  States  to  choose  their  own  State  officers,  and  man- 
age their  own  affiiii's  subject  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Blair  was  nominated  for  Vice-President,  but  Mr.  Seymour 
repudiated  this  platform.  The  New  York  World,  which  had  ad- 
vocated the  nomination  of  Chase,  by  the  Con-veution,  after  the  Octo- 
ber elections,  suggested  the  declination  of  both  the  nominees, 
with  the  view  of  then  bringing  forward  Cliase.  Mr.  Blair  promptly 
indicated  his  willingness  to  retire  if  that  was  the  wish  of  the  party, 
or  of  Mr.  Seymour.  But  instead  of  agreeing  to  his  resignation, 
he  was  called  to  New  York  by  the  head  men  of  the  party  there,  to 
speak,  in  order  to  help  save  the  State  for  them. 

As  his  election'to  the  Senate,  in  1871,  depended  on  his  being  able 
to  secure  Republican  votes,  it  was  naturally  supposed  by  Mr.  Hender- 
son that  he  must  either  abandon  the  principles  avowed  in  the  Broad- 
head  letter,  or  that  lie  would  lose  the  Republican  votes  necessary  to 
his  election,  and  Mr.  Blair's  most  earnest  friends  advised  him  to 
yield.  But  he  refused  to  do  so,  and  made  a  speech  which  electiiiied 
the  House,  saying  that  he  was  more  than  ever  convinced  of  its 
soundness  in  doctrine,  and  the  necessity  for  its  application,  by  the 
steady  advance  of  usurpation  upon  the  liberties  of  the  people.  In 
the  face  of  this  speech,  he  was  elected  triumphantly  by  Republican 
votes.  His  presence  in  the  Senate  has  been  useful  to  the  country. 
He  has  dealt  the  administration  many  heavy  blows.  He  is  so  earn- 
est and  fearless,  and  well-informed  in  politics,  and  his  course  has 
been  so  patriotic  that,  although  acting  with  a  small  minority  in  the 
Senate,  he  exercises  great  power  in  the  country.  His  recommen- 
dation gives  the  so-called  "  passive  policy  "  much  of  its  strength  with 
the  Democratic  party.  It  is  the  policy  of  self-dem'al  in  which  he  has 
been  schooled,  and  has  so  frequently  submitted  to,  that  it  has  become 
easy  to  him,  whilst  to  the  indulged  pride  aud  delusive  hopes  of  some 

of  the  Democratic  leaders  it  is  too  severe  an  ordeal. 

85 


MONTGOMERY    BLAIR. 


MONTGOMERY  BLAIR,  Postmaster-General  of  the 
k\  United  States,  from  March,  1861,  to  October,  1864, 
X/5(i  was  born  in  the  county  of  Franklin,  State  of  Ken- 
.^'i,  tiicky,  on  the  10th  of  May,  1813.  He  is  the  eldest 
''"'4  child  of  Francis  Preston  Blair,  the  editor  of  the  Globe 
during  General  Jackson's  administration.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  the  Military  Academy,  where  he  graduated  in 
1835,  served  in  the  Florida  War  until  the  following  year,  when  he 
resigned,  finished  his  law  studies  at  the  law-school  of  Transylvania 
University,  settled  in  St.  Louis  in  1837,  was  appointed  United 
States  District- Attorney  for  Missouri  in  1839,  was  removed  from 
that  office  by  President  Tyler,  became  a  State  Judge  in  1845, 
resigned  in  1849,  changed  his  residence  to  Maryland  in  1853,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States,  and  was  the  first  Solicitor  of  the  United  States  Court  of 
Claims. 

The  connection  of  his  fother  with  the  political  press  initiated 
his  sons  very  early  in  politics  ;  but  Montgomery  declined  all  polit- 
ical office  until  he  was  ofiered  a  place  in  Mr.  Lincoln's  cabinet. 
His  refusal  to  accept  political  office  did  not  prevent  him  from 
active  participation  in  political  controversies,  and  he  became  dis- 
tinguished both  as  a  writer  for  the  press,  of  addresses,  resolutions 
for  conventions,  and  as  a  public  speaker.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  National  Conventions  of  1844,  1848,  and  of  1852. 

Having  acquired  ii  moderate  fortune  by  his  attention  to  his 
profession  in  Missouri,  he  removed  to  Maryland,  where  his  parents 
lived.  He  resided  there  many  years  without  taking  any  part  in 
politics ;  but,  becoming  impressed  with  the  conviction  that  the 
Union  was  in  real  danger,  and  that  it  was  the  duty  of  every  citizen 
to  exert  himself  for  its  preservation  by  working  with  the  party 
which  labored  in  that  direction,  he  supported  the  candidate  of  the 

87 


MONTGOMERY    BLAIR. 


American  party  for  Governor  in  1857.  He  drew  resolutions,  and 
supported  them  in  St.  Louis,  approving  Mr.  Clay's  Compromise 
measures.  He  argued  the  Dred  Scott  case  with  great  earnestness, 
from  conviction  of  the  mischief  which  a  decision  of  the  Supreme 
Court  against  the  power  of  Congress  to  prohibit  slavery  in  the  Ter- 
ritories would  produce.  He  was  the  first  to  take  the  ground  that 
the  test  oaths  were  violations  of  the  Constitution,  and  argued  that 
question  in  the  Cumming's  case,  before  the  Supreme  Court,  and  in 
his  brother's  case.  When  the  Southern  leaders  began  to  drive  Mr. 
Buchanan,  by  the  Lecompton  question,  from  the  stand  he  had  taken 
for  the  Union  by  the  constitution  of  his  Cabinet,  Mr.  Blair  endeav- 
ored to  induce  him  to  hold  out  against  them,  and  assured  him  of 
support  by  tlie  Republican  party  if  he  would  be  firm.  When  Mr. 
Buchanan  yielded,  he  endeavored  to  effect  a  combination  of  the 
Republicans  with  Mr.  Douglas. 

Mr.  Blair  presided  at  the  first  Republican  convention  held  in 
Maryland,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  Chicago  convention  in  1860. 
He  favored  the  nomination  of  Edward  Bates,  who  was  not  then  iden- 
tified with  the  Republican  party,  to  avoid  the  sectional  issue,  and 
hoping  to  carry  Missouri  and  Maryland  with  such  a  candidate.    He 
opposed  strenuously  Mr.  Seward's  nomination.    Finding  Mr.  Bates 
couid  not  be  nominated,  he  went  for  Mr.  Lincoln  on  the  second 
ballot.     Having  endeavored  to  prevent  the  issue  of  disunion,  Mr. 
Blair,  when  forced  to  meet  it,  did  not  hesitate      An  earnest  dis- 
cussion commenced  in  the  Cabinet  immediately  after  Mr.  Lincoln's 
inauguration  in  regard  to  the  use  of  the  military  to  maintain  pos- 
session of  the  forts  in  the  Southern  States.     Conferences  were  had 
with  members  of  the  Virginia  Legislature,  and  the  Confederate 
Commissioners  were  in  Washington  in  correspondence  with  the 
Secretary  of  State.      Mr.  Blair  insisted  from  first  to  last  upon 
maintaining  and  reinforcing  the  forts,  and  that  an  attempt  to  save 
Fort  Sumter  should  be  made,  even  if  it  failed,  and  declared  that 
he  would  not  remain  in  the  Cabinet  if  the  fort  was  surrendered 
without  an  effort  to  save  it.    Mr.  Lincoln  often  said  afterward  that 
Mr.  Blair  alone  sustained  him  at  that  critical  time,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  sustain  him  (Mr.  Lincoln)  to  the  end  of  his  life.     It  was 
because  of  his  thorough  sympathy  with  Mr.  Lincoln's  views,  and 
the  active  support  of  his  policy  in  reference  to  reconstruction,  that 
he  was  compelled  to  leave  the  Cabinet. 

Mr.  Blair,  alone  of  the  Cabinet,  openly  opposed  the  claim  of  Con- 


88 


MONTGOMERY    BLAIR. 

gress  to  frame  governments  for  the  Southern  States,  and  denounced 
the  doctrine  when  first  broached  as  akin  to,  and  worse  than,  secession 
itself.  For  this,  great  efforts  were  made  to  procure  his  removal 
from  the  Cabinet,  and  by  many  who  then  professed  not  to  differ 
with  him  on  the  question,  but  insisted  that  Mr.  B.  injured  the  party, 
by  falsely  imputing  to  the  reconstructionists  a  design  to  establish 
negro  suffrage,  which  they  generally  denied.  The  Republicans  in 
Congress,  and  party  leaders  generally,  supported  the  Congressional 
power,  and  but  few  of  them  favored  Lincoln's  renomination.  Mr. 
Blair  was  very  active  for  the  renomination,  and  very  early,  in  public 
addresses  in  the  East  and  West,  counseled  the  people  to  take  the 
matter  in  their  own  hands,  and  not  to  leave  the  question  to  the 
politicians'  convention.  The  President's  refusal  to  remove  Mr. 
Blair,  even  when  urged  to  do  so  by  a  committee  appointed  for  that 
purpose  by  the  convention  which  renominated  him,  and  his  refusal 
to  sign  the  Wade  and  Davis  reconstruction  bill,  showed  plainly 
his  opposition  to  the  secret  purposes  of  the  leaders  of  the  party  as 
to  reconstruction.  They  continued  to  urge  the  removal  of  Mr. 
Blair  ;  and,  for  the  purpose  of  coercing  him  into  terms,  they  kept 
Mr.  Fremont  in  the  field  as  a  candidate  against  him,  and  a  call 
was  issued  for  a  new  convention  to  meet  in  September  to  nominate 
a  new  candidate.  The  battle  of  Atlanta,  on  July  22d,  1864, 
brightened  Lincoln's  prospects,  and  a  compromise  was  effected. 
The  new  convention  was  abandoned.  Fremont  was  withdrawn  ; 
Mr.  Blair  resigned.  Some  important  ofHcial  positions  were  as- 
signed to  leading  Radicals,  and  reconstruction  was  abandoned  till 
Lincoln  was  slain.  An  attempt  was  made  to  effect  a  compromise 
with  Mr.  Lincoln  during  the  session  of  1864-'5,  by  which  repre- 
sentation should  be  admitted  to  Congress  from  the  States  which 
had  already  reorganized  themselves  under  his  proclamations,  with- 
out further  conditions,  leaving  the  other  insurrectionary  States  to 
be  dealt  with  by  Congress.  But  Mr.  Lincoln  rejected  the  propo- 
sition, and  no  further  legislation  was  attempted  whilst  he  lived. 
Mr.  Blair  was  invited  by  Mr.  Lincoln  to  a  conference  on  this  sub- 
ject, although  no  longer  in  the  Cabinet,  at  which  he  opposed  the 
efforts  made  by  some  who  had  hitherto  sustained  him  to  induce 
Mr.  Lincoln  to  yield. 

It  was  on  Mr.  Blair's  suggestion  that  his  father  was  sent  to 
Richmond  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  in  December,  1864,  and  January,  1865, 
to  obtain  the  submission  of  the  rebel  authorities.    Mr.  Blair  urged, 

89 


MONTGOMERY    BLAIB. 

that,  besides  the  useless  effusion  of.  blood,  further  military  opera- 
tions could  only  strengthen  the  Radicals,  and  enable  them  to  over- 
whelm him  in  any  effort  to  maintain  Constitutional  government. 
On  the  failure  of  the  conferences  at  Hampton  Eoads,  Mr.  Blair 
urged   Mr.    Lincoln   to   issue  a  proclamation  offering   the   rebels 
amnesty  on  submission.     His   only  objection  to  doing  this  was, 
that  they  would  misconstrue  it  as  evidence  of  weakness.     This 
objection   Mr.   B.  combated,  and   Mr.    L.    seemed  to  yield— said 
he   would   endeavor   to   frame   a   proclamation   on   the   boat,   as 
he  went   to    General   Grant's   head-quarters,    for   which   he   was 
about    starting.     There  was   no   necessity  for   immediate  action, 
he    thought  ;    for   General    Grant   had   said   he    did   not   intend 
to   strike   Lee,  unless   he   attempted    to   retreat.       Mr.    Seward 
strenuously  resisted  Mr.  Blair's  advice  ;  and,  when  Mr.  Lincoln  went 
to  the  front,  followed  him.     His  opposition  served  to  delay  Mr. 
Lincoln's  action,  till  Grant,  having  changed  his  mind,  commenced 
the  final  attack  on  Lee's  lines.     General  Lee  told  Grant,  at  Appo- 
mattox, that  he  would  have  closed  with  the  terms  then  offered  and 
accepted,  if  tendered  before  the  attack.     This  fact,  stated  by  a  cor- 
respondent of  the  Herald,  was  confirmed  by  General  Grant  him- 
self to  Mr.  Blair. 

Mr.  Blair  opposed  Mr.  Chase's  financial  views  generally, 
and  labored  to  sustain  those  of  the  bankers  of  New  York, 
who  opposed  the  suspension  of  specie  payment,  as  unneces- 
sary and  as  injurious  to  our  credit,  and  insuring  a  vast  increase 
of  the  public  debt.  He  opposed  the  National  Banking  system  and 
the  cotton-permit  trade  with  the  enemy,  allowed  both  by  Mr. 
Chase  and  by  Mr.  Fessenden.  Mr.  Blair  insisted  on  the  surrender 
of  Mason  and  Slidell,  not  only  after  the  demand  of  England,  but 
before  it  was  made,  believing  that  the  British  Ministry  would  not 
lose  any  occasion  to  make  war  on  us  at  that  time,  which  would 
carry  their  people  with  them. 

He  opposed  the  removal  of  McClellan  from  the  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  got  him  replaced  after  Pope's  failure  ; 
urged  McClellan,  by  letter,  to  sustain  the  Emancipation  proclama- 
tion in  general  orders,  to  identify  himself  with  the  President's 
policy,  and  so  counteract  political  intrigues  going  on  against  him  ; 
induced  Mr.  Lincoln  to  offer  him  the  command  of  an  army  under 
Grant,  after  Grant  was  made  Lieutenant-General ;  and  endeavored, 

through  his  father,  who  went  to  New  York  for  the  purpose,  to  per- 
°  90 


MONTGOMERY    BLAIR. 

suade  McClellau  to  take  the  command,  and  refuse  to  antagonize 
himself  to  the  President  as  the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party, 
whilst  the  war  lasted. 

On  Mr.  Johnson's  accession  to  the  Presidency,  Mr.  Blair  ad- 
vised him  to  change  his  Cabinet,  for  the  reason  that  those  who  then 
composed  it  had  not  the  hold  on  the  country  necessary  to  sustain 
him  in  carrying  out  the  policy  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  to  which  he  was 
committed,  and  recommended  that  Governor  Andrew,  of  Massa- 
chusetts ;  Horace  Greeley,  of  New  York  ;  Governor  Morton,  of 
Indiana  ;  and  General  Grant,  should  be  appointed.  Mr.  Blair  has 
participated  actively  as  public  speaker  in  every  canvass  since  the 
war  on  the  Democratic  side,  endeavoring  to  stay  the  tide  of  Rad- 
icalism. He  has  also  made  speeches  on  other  important  subjects 
which  attracted  much  attention,  and,  among  others,  on  the  French 
invasion  of  Mexico,  and  the  countenance  and  support  given  to  that 
invasion  by  the  State  Department,  under  Mr.  Seward,  and  by  the 
War  Department,  under  Mr.  Stanton. 

He  was  the  first  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  Mr.  Bigelow, 
under  instructions  from  Mr.  Seward,  was  assuring  the  French  Em- 
peror that  the  American  people  took  no  umbrage  at  this  invasion, 
and  that  the  War  Department  was  seizing  the  refuse  arms  bought 
here  by  the  Mexicans,  to  defend  themselves  after  our  war  had  closed, 
whilst  the  French  Emperor  was  allowed  to  supply  his  army  with 
provisions  of  all  kinds. 

Mr.  Blair,  though  always  opposed  to  slavery,  and  anxious 
for  its  abolishment  by  State  action,  with  compensation  to  own- 
ers, exerted  himself  to  keep  the  subject  out  of  national  poli- 
tics ;  when  the  issue  came,  however,  he  went  with  the  emancipa- 
tionists. He  supported  the  constitution  of  Maryland  of  1864,  be- 
cause it  abolished  slavery.  The  proscriptive  features  of  that  con- 
stitution he  was  opposed  to,  and  pledged  himself,  while  advocating 
its  adoption,  to  aid  in  expunging  those  features. 

Accordingly,  on  the  26th  of  August,  1865,  he  commenced  the 
agitation  for  that  purpose  in  a  speech  made  at  Clarksville,  Howard 
county,  and  there  first  broached  the  doctrine,  subsequently  sustained 
by  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  Cumming's  case,  that  the  disfran- 
chisement imposed  was  a  bill  of  attainder.  Mr.  Blair  was  President 
of  the  Anti-Registry  Convention  which  met  on  January  25th, 
1866,  and,  as  the  organ  of  that  body,  delivered  an  address  before  the 
Legislature  then  in  session.     But  the  Legislature  was  Radical,  and 

91 


MONTGOMERY    BLAIR. 

refused  to  act.  The  succeeding  Legislature  was  overwhelmingly 
Democratic,  and  called  the  convention  which  abolished  disfran- 
chisement. 

As  as  executive  of&cer,  all  parties  agreed  that  Mr.  Blair  was 
attentive,  efficient,  and  judicious,  and  the  postal  system  was  greatly 
simplified  and  improved  in  his  hands,  and  was  conducted  with 
rigid  economy.  He  established  uniform  rates  of  postage,  the 
free-delivery  and  money-order  systems.  He  recommended  a 
governmental  telegraph  in  connection  with  the  postal  system 
on  the  expiration  of  the  patents.  He  put  in  operation  the 
dii-ect  overland  maU,  began  the  establishment  of  distributing- 
offices  in  the  mail  cars,  recommended  measures  to  protect  the 
Department  from  extortion  by  the  railroad  companies,  and  many 
other  measures  of  practical  importance.  During  his  entire  term 
of  service  there  was  never  a  suggestion  in  any  quarter  that  there 
was  favoritism  or  disregard  of  the  public  interest  in  the  administra- 
tion of  the  department. 


ROBERT    BONNER. 


ROBERT  BONNER,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  New- 
York  Ledger,  was  bom  within  twelve  miles  of  the 
city  of  Londonderry,  Ireland,  on  the  28th  day  of  April, 
1824.  When  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  a  letter  reached 
his  family  from  an  uncle  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  inviting 
Mr.  Bonner's  older  brother  to  come  to  America.  The  transit 
across  the  ocean  in  those  days  was  slow  and  wearisome ;  a 
dread  of  the  sea  was  general,  and  when  anybody  contemplated  a 
voyage  to  America,  it  was  heralded  far  and  near,  and  was  a  nine  days 
wonder.  Preparations  were  made  for  weeks  previous;  relations  and 
friends  were  visited ;  and,  amidst  sobs  and  tears,  a  last  adieu  was 
exchanged,  and  prayers  were  offered  and  benedictions  given. 

The  invitation  to  come  to  America  was  looked  upon  very  soberly 
by  Mr.  Bonner's  brother,  and  he  lialf  declined.     Some  member  of 
the  family  said  jocosely,  "  Let  the  old  man  go  with  him."     The  "  old 
man  "  (as  Robert  was  then  called  in  his  father's  family)  was  a  strip- 
hng  of  fifteen,  with  a  big  head  and  two  flashing  hazel  eyes  looking 
out  from  under  a  great,  solid  white  dome  of  a  forehead.     Nothing 
more  was  said.     The  "  old  man  "  turned  the  joke  to  sober  earnest, 
and  in  1839  Robert  Bonner  arrived  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  where 
he  found  his  uncle  a  prosperous  farmer,  and  the  owner  of  much  land 
in  the  city  limits.     Soon  after  taking  up  his  residence  in  that  city, 
young  Bonner  entered  the  printing-office  of  the  Hartford  Courant  as 
an  apprentice  to  the  printer's  trade.     His  engagement  with  the  pro- 
prietors was,  that  he  should  have  his  board  and  washing  and  twenty- 
five  dollars  the  first  year,  and  ten  dollars  increase  each  year  afterward. 
The  rule  of  the  Courant  establishment  was  to  take  a  new  apprentice 
every  year,  and  promote  in  gradation  of  time    and   not  by  merit 
After  his  second  year  in  the  office,  young  Bonner  saw  that  he  set 
type  much  faster  and  more  correctly  than   the   older  apprentices. 


93 


ROBERT     BONNER. 

Entering  the  office  one  morning,  one  of  the  journeymen  ordered 
Robert  to  go  and  draw  some  water.  As  that  work  devolved  on 
the  youngest  apprentice,  and  Robert  was  justified  in  declining,  he 
showed  at  once  what  constantly  occupied  his  mind,  by  saying  :  "  I 
shall  bring  the  water  if  you  teach  me  how  to  feed  the  press."  The 
journeyman  consented,  and  in  a  few  months  from  that  time  the  am- 
bitious apprentice  had  a  good  knowledge  of  presswork.  As  soon  as 
young  Bonner  acquired  the  knack  of  feeding  the  press,  he  would 
come  down  early  to  the  office,  put  the  latest  news  in  print,  send  the 
paper  to  press,  and  go  to  work  at  feeding.  For  this  he  received 
extra  pay.  It  was  very  small,  yet  it  was  an  incentive,  and  he  worked 
the  harder.  One  week  his  overwork  reached  the  amount  of  three  dol- 
lars. Small  as  this  sum  appears,  it  was  more,  he  has  been  heard  to 
say,  to  Mr.  Bonner  then  than  three  thousand  doUai-s  are  to- day. 
One  of  the  apprentices  at  once  grew  jealous,  and  appealed  to  the 
proprietors  for  the  young  man's  position,  and,  in  consideration  of 
seniority,  succeeded.  He  held  the  place  only  a  short  time,  however. 
The  editor  entered  the  office  one  morning  in  a  very  perturbed  state 
of  mind.  He  was  angry,  and  wished  to  know  who  was  the  novice 
who  made  so  many  blunders  in  the  "  latest  news."  On  learning  who 
he  was,  the  editor  gave  instructions  to  have  Mr.  Bonner  reinstated 
immediately.  Mr.  Bonner  made  up  the  columns  of  the  paper, 
worked  at  case,  and  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  presswork. 

In  1844  he  left  the  Courant  office,  and  came  direct  to  New  York, 
where  he  has  resided  ever  sinca 

After  Mr.  Bonner  had  been  in  the  city  some  time  he  was  employed 
on  the  Evening  Mirror,  which  was  edited  by  the  poets,  N.  P.  Willis 
and  George  P.  Morris.  He  had  his  evenings  to  himself,  and  he 
turned  them  to  account  by  dotting  down  the  cream  of  the  city's 
news,  and  sending  it  to  the  Hartford  Courant.  He  wrote  under  the 
nom  deplume  of  -'Threads,"  suiting  the  name  to  the  subject  matter. 
After  the  Courant  had  published  the  fourth  of  his  letters,  he  was 
agreeably  surprised  by  the  receipt  of  ten  dollars.  The  letter  which 
contained  the  ten  dollars  for  Mr.  Bonner  contained  also  a  request 
that  the  correspondent  reveal  his  true  name.  This  was  a  poser. 
He  entertained  the  very  natural  idea  that  as  soon  as  the  proprietors 
of  the  Courant  learned  that  their  crispy,  chatty  New  York  corres- 
pondent was  none  other  than  one  of  their  late  apprentices,  he  would 
lose  his  prestige,  and  his  letters  would  be  lightly  and  critically 
treated.      With   many  misgivings  he  sent  his  name  as  requested, 

94 


ROBERT     BONNER 

giving  his  reasons  for  previously  witliliolding  it.  They  wrote  him 
back  that  their  knowledge  of  him  enhanced  the  value  of  his  corres- 
pondence, as  it  was  a  guaranty  of  the  truth  of  his  statements.  His 
confidence  was  now  established,  and  he  soon  became  the  New  York 
correspondent  of  papers  in  Albany,  Washington,  and  Boston. 

While  in  the  daily  Mirror  office,  Mr.  Bonner  displayed  great  skill 
in  setting  advertisements.  His  method  was  very  much  appreciated 
by  advertisers,  and  it  was  of  marked  advantage  to  the  paper.  An 
advertising  clerk  in  the  office  with  Mr.  Bonner  left  the  Mirror  to 
take  charge  of  the  advertising  in  the  Merchanti'  Ledger.  During  a 
conversation  with  Mr.  Pratt,  the  proprietor,  about  the  display  of  ad- 
vertisements, his  clerk  told  him  there  was  a  young  man  in  the  Mirror 
office  who  had  excellent  taste  and  judgment  in  this  line.  Mr.  Pratt  re- 
quested that  he  should  be  sent  for.  Mr.  Bonner  went  to  the  Ledger  of- 
fice, but  the  wages  first  offered  were  declined  The  clerk  communicated 
the  fact  to  Mr.  Pratt,  and  he  increased  the  weekly  amount,  in  order 
that  he-  might  secure  Mr.  Bonner's  sei-vices.  An  advertisement 
would  come  into  the  office,  to  be  inserted  a  month,  with  orders  to 
send  a  proof  before  it  would  appear  in  the  paper.  Mr.  Bonner 
would  go  to  work,  and,  with  masterly  ingenuity,  give  it  such  a 
striking  display  and  form  such  an  appositeness  between  the  letters 
of  the  different  lines,  that  when  the  advertiser  would  see  the  handi- 
craft, he  would  often  change  his  mind,  and,  instead  of  one  month, 
would  order  the  advertisement  to  be  published  in  the  paper  three  oi 
six  months.  After  a  short  time  in  tlie  of&ce,  he  hired  the  type  of 
the  Ledger.,  and  not  only  printed  that  paper  for  the  proprietor,  but 
two  other  weeklies.  Mr.  Bonner  contributed  spicy  articles  and  bril- 
liant sketches  to  the  Merchants'  Ledger.  While  in  a  humorous  vein, 
he  inserted,  one  day,  in  a  corner  of  the  paper,  a  few  brief,  ringing 
sentences  on  some  subject  before  the  people,  and  accredited  to  Dr. 
Chalmers.  He  enjoyed  the  amusement  of  seeing  his  short  article 
copied  and  praised  all  over  the  country.  Mr.  Pratt  took  it  into  his 
head  one  day  to  sell  out  the  Merchants'  Ledger.  Mr.  Bonner  entered 
into  negotiation  with  him,  and  after  a  little  delay  succeeded  in  clos- 
ing a  bargain  for  its  purchasa  He  had  made  it  an  invariable  rule 
to  limit  his  expense  inside  of  his  income,  and  had  already  accumu- 
lated a  small  capital. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Bonner  became  proprietor  of  the  Ledger,  being  a 
man  of  literary  tastes,  he  formed  a  purpose  to  graft  The  Ledger  on 
a  literary  basis.     Fannv  Fern  was  then  at  the  zenith  of  her  fame. 

95 


ROBERT     BONNER. 


Her  "  Ruth  Hall "  was  the  conversation  and  excitement  of  all  literary 
circles,  and  its  authors  name  was  famous  through  the  land.    Mr.  Bon- 
ner was  bending  his  efforts  to  make  his  paper  a  literary  success.     He 
addressed  a  letter  to  Fanny  Fern,  offering  her  twenty-five  dollars  a 
column,  for  ten  columns  of  The  Ledger.     This  she  refused-     He  then 
offered  her  fifty  dollars.      She  declined,   stating  she    had  made 
up  her  mind  not  to  write  anything  more  for  newspapers.     Nothing 
daunted,  he  proposed  seventy-five  dollai-s,  but  with  the  same  result. 
He  then  offered  one  hundred  dollars.     Here  was  pluck  that  she  ad- 
mired, and  her  resolution  was  somewhat  staggered.     She  was  pleased 
with  Mr.  Bonner's  appreciation  of  her  talents.     After  a  consultation 
with  her  publishers.  Mason  &  Co.,  at  her  request  a  gentleman  from 
that  establishment  was  sent  to  Mr.  Bonner's  ofSce,  bearing  a  letter 
from  her  to  the  effect  that  she  would  accede  to  Mr.  Bonner's  pro- 
position to  write  a  story  of  ten  columns  for  the  Ledger,  for  one  thou- 
sand dollars.     Mr.  Bonner  accepted  the  offer,  and  soon  after  received 
the  manuscript  of  "Fanny  Ford."     The  news  flashed  abroad  that 
Mr.  Bonner  was  paying  the  celebrated  Fanny  Fern  a  hundred  dol- 
lars a  column  for  writing  for  the  New  York  Ledger.     Atter  that,  an 
an-angement  was  entered  into  with  Fanny  Fern  to  write  regularly 
for  the  Ledger.     His  rapid  and  wonderful  success,  and  his  bold  ven- 
tures in  advertising  sui-prised  everybody.     He  often  took  his  last 
dollar  from  the  bank  and  invested  it  in  advertising.     Twenty-five 
to  thirty  thousand  dollars  was  not  unfrequently  a  weekly  appro- 
priation to  advertise  the  Ledger  all  over  the  country.     Many  a  vil- 
lage  newspaper  looked  on  Mr.  Bonner's  favors  as  a  godsend,  and 
many  a  poor  printer  received  his  back  pay  when  the  Ledger  adver- 
tisement appeared  in  the  country  paper.     He  was  asked  one  day  why 
he  persisted  in  repeating,  in  column  after  column  of  the  Herald,  the 
words,    "Fanny  Fern  writes  only  for    the  Ledger V      "To  attract 
your  attention.     You  would  not  have  asked  the  question  had  I  in- 
serted it  but  once,"  answered  Mr.  Bonner.      He  never  advertised 
twice  alike. 

The  Ledgei-  has  numbered  among  its  contributors  many  of  the 
leading  men  of  this  country  and  of  the  world.  Everett,  Bancroft ; 
Bryant,  Beecher— the  Rev.  Drs.  Tyng,  John  Hall,  McClintock,  and 
a  host  of  other  celebrities  have  been  in  the  ranks  of  its  original  wri- 
ters at  different  times.  Gen.  Grant's  father  wrote  a  biographical 
sketch  of  his  son,  the  present  President  of  the  United  States,  for  its 


96 


ROBERT     BONNER. 

columns;  Charles  Dickens  wrote  Lis  only  story  ever  ^Titten  exclu- 
sively for  an  American  publication,  for  the  Lechjer. 

The  purest  literature  that  ever  entered  a  household  is  the  Keio 
York  Ledger,  and  its  teachings  have  done  a  world  of  good.  Every- 
tiling  in  the  paper  is  healthy,  pure,  chastening  and  elevating,  and 
Mr.  Bonner  is  a  benefactor  to  his  race  for  the  good  morals  he  incul- 
cates, and  the  cheerful  evenings  he  gives  to  millions  of  readers. 

Mr.  Bonner's  principal,  and  almost  his  sole  amusement,  is  in  driv- 
ing very  fine  horses.  His  ambition  is  to  own  the  best  in  the  world  ; 
and  in  this  he  has  been  successful.  The  sun  never  shone  upon  any 
other  such  stable  of  trotters  as  his.  He  is  one  of  the  best  horsemen 
in  the  country.  He  always  drives  his  own  horses.  His  stables  on 
Fifty-fifth  street  are  worth  a  visit.  Outside  of  the  stables  is  a  track- 
on  which  the  horses  are  daily  exercised.  Three  men  are  constantly 
employed  to  take  care  of  them.  Mr.  Bonner  gives  his  personal  at- 
tention to  them  daily,  and  takes  good  care  that  nothing  goes  wrong. 
The  sums  he  has  invested  in  these  horses  are  very  large. 

But  while  Mr.  Bonner  devotes  so  much  of  time  and  money  to 
fast  horses,  he  never  bets.  He  is  reported  to  have  once  made  a 
wager— the  only  one  he  ever  made  in  his  life.  In  composition  he 
was  extraordinarily  rapid,  and  long  before  he  was  twenty,  he  could 
beat  any  printer  in  Hartford  setting  type.  When  he  came  to  New 
York  he  soon  acquired  fame  with  the  printers  for  his  swift  composi- 
tion. There  was  one  man — a  Canadian  named  Hand — in  the  city, 
who  could  beat  him  setting  type ;  but  that  man  denied  it ;  but  Mr. 
Bonner  believes  that  this  was  out  of  generous  consideration  for  his 
youth.  The  feat  of  setting  twenty-four  thousand  ems  of  type  in 
twenty-four  consecutive  hours  had  been  often  tried  by  printers  every- 
where, and  always  foiled.  While  at  work  one  day  in  the  Mirror 
office,  somebody  suggested  the  trial  +o  Mr.  Bonner— some  jealous 
printer,  who  wished  to  badger  him :  and  a  wager  of  ten  dollars  was 
offered  to  Mr.  Bonner.  He  accepted,  and  a  day  was  appointed. 
When  the  day  came  Mr.  Bonner  was  indisposed,  but  he  thought  if  he 
asked  for  a  postponement,  it  would  create  the  impression  that  he  was 
afraid  to  risk  it.  He  went  to  work,  and  set  up  twenty-five  thousand 
five  hundred  ems  of  solid  type  in  twenty  hours  and  twenty-eight 
minutes.  We  believe  there  is  nothing  on  record  among  printers  that 
approaches  this  for  rapidity  and  endurance.  The  reader  can  form 
some  idea  of  this  feat  when  we  say  that  eight  thousand  ems  a  day  is 
more  than  a  printer's  average.     All  he  ate  or  drank  during  this  her- 

97 


ROBERT     BONNER. 

culean  task  was  two-thirds  of  a  lemon  pie  and  two  cups  of  coffee. 
As  we  statei,  he  was  sick  and  could  not  eat.  He  won  the  ten  dol- 
lars, but,  when  tendered  him,  he  refused  to  take  it.  So,  in  reality, 
Mr.  Bonner  never  made  a  bet  in  his  life. 

Mr.  Bonner  is  five  feet  seven  and  a  half  inches  in  height,  and 
weighs  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  pounds.  He  is  broad-shoul- 
dered, broad-chested,  with  great  respiratory  powers.  His  build  is 
straight,  firm  and  well  proportioned.  He  has  a  resolute,  determined 
step,  and  he  walks  with  an  air  of  decision.  He  has  a  most  remark- 
ably large  head.  His  forehead  is  massive,  and  is  in  shape  the  very 
coimterpart  of  that  of  the  late  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  Brilliant  hazel 
eyes,  well  set,  sparkle  with  every  word  lie  uttera  His  hair  is  dark- 
brown,  of  a  fine  quality.  His  full  beard  is  sandy,  darkly  shaded. 
His  skin  is  fair.  The  nose  is  keen  and  pointed.  The  mouth  is 
small,  with  two  rows  of  as  fine  white  and  evenly  set  teeth  as  were 
ever  seen.  His  manner  is  cheerful,  frank  and  open,  and  his  address 
is  free  and  courteous.  He  is  a  man  of  set  principles,  and  does  every- 
thing by  rule.  The  Ledger  is  a  transcript  of  his  character.  He  is 
positive  and  earnest,  temperate  and  moral.  He  gives  his  personal 
attention  to  all  his  business.  Friday  is  his  busy  day.  It  is  the  day 
the  Ledger  goes  to  press,  and  Mr.  Bonner  confines  himself  to  his 
office.  If  anything  in  his  press-room  goes  wrong,  he  can  instruct 
the  pressman  how  to  make  it  right,  lie  is  master  of  the  situation  in 
all  departments.  Yet,  while  he  devotes  his  time  to  hard  work,  there 
is  no  man  so  liberal  of  his  means. 

It.  will  be  remembered  by  many  of  our  readers  that  on  Mr. 
Bonner's  visit,  some  time  ago,  to  Princeton  College,  he  took  such  a 
hearty  liking  to  the  students  that  he  proposed  to  bear  one-half  the 
cost  of  building  a  gymnasium  for  the  use  of  the  students.  His  pro- . 
position  was  accepted.  The  whole  cost  fixed  upon  was  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  Mr.  Bonner  gave  his  check  for  half  the  amount. 
But  instead  of  twenty  thousand,  the  gymnasium  has  cost  thirty- 
eight  thousand  dollars,  and  Mr.  Bonner  paid  over,  in  all,  nineteen 
thousand  dollars  for  that  gymnasium — a  fact  which  we  doubt  few 
people  are  aware  of. 

A  more  recent  instance  of  Mr.  Bonner's  well-directed  benevolence 
was  his  contribution  of  ten  thousand  dollars  to  the  sufferers  by  the 
Chicago  fire,  to  be  distributed  among  those  connected  with  the  news- 
■  paper  business. 

Mr.  Bonner  has  been  especially  open-handed  in  his  support  of 

98 


ROBERT     BONNER. 

cbarches ;  and  he  has  given  many  thousands  of  dollars  in  charitiei 
the  particulars  of  which  are  only  known  to  the  private  recipients  oi 
his  bounties. 

Mr.  Bonner  is  a  warm  and  faithful  friend,  and  a  square  and  hold 
opponent.  His  rule  is  to  give  no  man  just  cause  of  offence,  and,  in 
turn,  he  does  not  wish  that  any  man  should  give  just  cause  of  offence 
to  him.  He  is  a  striking  and  original  character — a  man  of  mark — 
as  both  his  friends  and  enemies  soon  come  very  well  to  understand. 

Mr.  Everett,  in  the  last  number  of  "  The  Mount  Vernon  Papers," 
referred  to  Mr.  Bonner  and  the  Ledger  as  follows : 

"  It  may  be  mentioned  as  the  most  extraordinary,  the  most  credit- 
able, and,  as  an  example  to  others,  the  most  salutary  feature  of  Mr. 
Bonner's  course,  that,  in  the  entire  progress  of  this  great  enterprise, 
and  in  its  present  management,  he  has  never  signed  nor  endorsed  a 
note  of  hand,  nor  borrowed  a  dollar  ;  and  that  in  every  part  of  his 
immense  establishment,  Sunday  is  a  day  of  best." 

99 


FREDERICK  CARROLL  BREWSTER. 


ON.  R  CARROLL  BREWSTER,  Attorney-General 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  was  bom  in  Philadel- 
phia,   May   15th,    1825.      His   father,    Francis   E. 
Brewster,  was  a  gentleman  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  Philadelphia  bar  in  the  days  of  its  most 
reputed  brilliancy.    He  placed  his  son  in  the  Pennsylvania 
University,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  early,  and 
of  the  Alumni  of  which  he  is  to-day  President.     Three  years 
after  his  graduation  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.     He  was  then  but  nineteen  years  of  age. 

In  his  profession  he  has  achieved  marked  success.  His  position 
to-day  is  perhaps  at  the  head  of  the  bar  of  Pennsylvania.  With  the 
exception  of  Ex-Chief-Justice  Black  there  is  no  man  connected  with 
the  profession  in  whose  hands  cases  of  greater  moment  and  more 
extended  financial  influence  have  been  lodged.  His  principal  prac- 
tice has  been  confined  to  the  Civil  Courts,  but  in  his  early  legal  life 
he  was  interested  in  some  of  the  leading  criminal  trials  of  a  time 
when  a  case,  which  involves  the  safety  of  human  life,  had  unusual 
significance. 

His  early  days  at  the  bar  were  days  of  good  fortune.  He  man- 
aged cases  with  an  application  and  careful  study  that  rarely  failed 
to  secure  his  purpose,  but  the  first  great  criminal  suits -were  red 
letter  days  in  his  legal  life.  The  Cunningham  murder  trial  was  one 
of  these.  Samuel  Cunningham,  a  policeman,  was  sent  to  arrest  a 
mechanic.  The  wan'ant  was  served  upon  him  in  his  workshop  when 
he  was  very  much  inebriated.  He  resisted  the  policeman,  ordered 
him  from  the  premises,  and  finally  attacked  him  with  a  knife.  Cun- 
ningham shot  liim  to  death,  and  was  tried  for  murder.  The  case 
aroused  popular  excitement  to  fever  heat,  the  legal  question  being 
the  nature  of  the  resistance  that  would  justify  an  ofiBcer  of  the  law 

to  take  human  life  to  enforce  the  law  or  to  protect  himself.     Mr. 

101 


FREDEEICK     CARROLL     BREWSTER. 

Brewster  defended  the  policeman  and  secured  his  acquittal.  A  point 
of  law  settled  by  that  trial,  as  precedent  for  many  subsequent  cases 
in  that  and  other  Commonwealths,  was  the  argument  of  this  coun- 
sellor that  a  well-founded  apprehension  on  the  part  of  an  assailant 
to  inflict  bodily  harm  is  sufficient  cause  for  the  exercise  of  self- 
defence,  even  to  the  extremity  of  taking  life. 

Similar  also  was  the  great  ti-ial  of  Lenairs  for  mtuxler.  The 
interest  that  attended  this  case  extended  to  both  sides  of  the  Dela- 
ware river.  The  garden  fanns  in  New  Jersey  were  objects  of  fre- 
quent pillage,  which  with  undue  harshness  were  laid  by  the  people 
of  Camden  and  Amboy  at  the  doors  of  Philadelphia.  Lenairs,  while 
gunning  near  Camden,  crossed  meadow  land  belonging  to  a  farmer 
wliose  melon  patch  had  been  subjected  to  unwarranted  hai-vesting, 
and  who  was  keeping  watch  and  ward  over  the  remaining  fruit.  He 
accused  Lenairs  of  trespass,  and  ordered  him  to  surrender  into  custo- 
dy. This  was  refused,  and  the  farmer  attempted  the  arrest  He 
was  a  man  of  large  frame  and  threatening  presence.  Lenairs  was  of 
lighter  build  and  nervous  almost  to  weakness.  He  fled  from  the 
farmer  until  forced  into  the  marsh  that  bounded  the  river,  and  at 
that  extreme  point  of  retreat  he  shot  his  pursuer.  The  truck  farmers 
combined  to  secure  the  conviction  of  Lenairs  and  enlisted  against 
him  the  ablest  criminal  lawyers  of  the  New  Jersey  bar.  They  were 
resisted  almost  single-handed  by  Mr.  Brewster  and  defeated.  At  the 
close  of  a  protracted  trial  in  which  the  young  advocate  eloquently 
pleaded  the  same  principle  of  self-defence,  successfully  asserted  in 
the  Cunningham  case,  Mr.  Lenairs  was  vindicated. 

After  this,  the  Kirkpatrick  poisoning  case  stirred  Philadelphia 

society  to  its  centre.     The  principal  parties  were  brothers,  Edward 

and  Eobert  D.  Kirkpatrick,  but  the  case  involved  several  others,  and 

all  with  one  or  two  exceptions  are  now  living.     The  brotheis  had 

been  partners  in  business,  but  separated  in  anger,  and  a,  family 

feud  resulted.     On  Christmas  morning  a  large  pie  was  left  at  the 

house  of  Edward  Kirkpatrick.     That  gentleman  and  some  of  his 

household  ate  a  portion,  and  found  it  of  bitter  though  pleasant  taste. 

Severe  sickness  ensued,  and  the  remainder  of  the  pie  was  analyzed. 

It  contained  large  quantities  of  arsenic     Eobert  Kirkpatrick  and 

others  were  arrested  on  the  charge  of  conspiracy  to  poison.     In  this 

case  public  opinion  exercised  peculiar  force  and  exclusively  against 

the  defendant.     It  was  established  that  the  brothers  had  dissolved 

pai'tnership  in  anger,  and   had  subsequently  maintained  strife.     It 

112 


FREDERICK  CARROLL  BREWSTER. 

was  proved  that  the  poisoned  pie  had  been  left  at  the  house  of  one 
brother  by  a  negro,  who  was  employed  as  confidential  messenger  by 
the  other,  and  it  was  shown  that  pecuniary  advantage  would  result 
to  the  remaining  brother  should  either  die.  Judge  Kelley  and 
George  A.  Coffee  prosecuted  this  case  with  unflagging  purpose  to 
convict  They  were  aided  by  those  most  efficient  auxiliaries — public 
opinion  and  the  press,  and  yet  they  lost  their  cause.  Mr.  Brewster, 
at  the  close  of  a  month's  trial,  succeeded  in  acquitting  his  clients  on 
all  points  included  in  the  indictment  for  conspiracy.  His  manage- 
ment of  the  case  was  thorough  in  every  respect,  and  the  sober  second 
judgment  of  popular  thought  justified  the  verdict  To  the  coun- 
sellor it  was  a  victory  that  established  his  reputation  as  a  leader  of 
the  bar. 

In  1856  the  celebrated  contest  for  the  District-Attorneyship  be- 
tween Wm.  B.  Mann  and  Lewis  C.  Cassiday  was  pressed  to  success- 
ful issue  by  Mr.  Brewster.  In  the  many  election  contests  that  have 
occurred  in  that  city  since  that  date,  this  case  has  been  a  standard 
precedent  It  was  the  most  remarkable  question  of  its  kind  ever 
solved  in  a  Pennsylvania  Court,  and  was  attended  by  an  extreme 
political  excitement  Philadelphia  rarely  holds  an  election  without 
the  struggle  at  the  polls  being  supplemented  by  an  appeal  to  the 
courts,  but  no  subsequent  contest  has  equaled  the  political  stir 
which  this  question  of  fourteen  years  ago  created.  This  great  cause 
was  heard  before  Judge  Allison,  and  lasted  for  months,  Mr.  Brewster 
bringing  it  to  successful  termination  for  Col.  Mann. 

Immediately  subsequent  to  these  cases  came  the  collapse  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Bank.  Thomas  Allibone,  the  president  of  this  institu- 
tion, had  enjoyed  to  its  fullest  extent  the  confidence  of  the  public. 
When  the  fiscal  corporation  under  his  management  failed,  the  popu- 
lace condemned  him  as  bitterly  as  it  had  confided  in  him  a  few  hours 
before.  The  press  assailed  him.  The  Simdai/  Dispatch,  then  as 
now,  the  leader  of  independent  journalism  in  Philadelphia,  criticized 
Mm  with  a  severity  that  knew  no  mitigation.  On  all  sides  he  was 
denounced  and  by  all  parties  regarded  as  a  swindler  of  uncommon 
depravity.  The  matter  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  courts,  and 
an  indictment  for  conspiracy  to  defraud  the  Bank  was  framed,  and 
Mr.  Alliboiie  arraigned  before  President  Judge  Allison.  Joseph  P. 
Lloyd  pressed  the  ca  e  for  the  prosecution  with  all  the  energy  of 
which  he  was  capable,  and  the  defence  led  by  Mr.  Brewster  was 
equally  earnest     Legal  talent  of  eminent  experience  was  retained 


FREDERICK     CARROLL     BREWSTER. 

for  the  defence.  Wm.  M.  Meredith,  Ex-Chief-Justice  Lewis,  and 
Judge  Thayer  were  Mr.  Brewster's  associates,  and  George  M.  Whar- 
ton also  participated  in  the  trial.  He  represented  no  less  a  personage 
than  the  late  George  Peabody,  who  was  made  a  co-defendant  in  the 
suit,  and  was  connected  with  the  case  in  this  wise.  During  his  pre- 
sidency Mr.  Allibone,  as  President  of  the  Bank,  executed  a  draft  for 
fifty  thousand  pounds  sterling  upon  Mr.  Peabody  in  London.  The 
draft  was  accepted,  and  the  money  duly  accredited  to  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Bank.  In  the  indictment  against  the  president  it  was  charged 
that  the  proceeds  of  this  draft,  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars  of  American  gold,  were  appropriated  by  Mr.  Allibone  to 
individual  use.  This  charge  was  refuted.  The  trial  lasted  three 
weeks,  in  which  time  Mr.  Brewster  and  his  colleagues  proved  that 
the  Bank  had  received  the  sterling  exchange,  and  also  exonerated 
Mr.  Allibone  on  the  other  points  included  in  the  indictment  The 
result  was  unexpectedly  favorable.  The  jury,  without  leaving  their 
box,  decided  Mr.  Allibone  innocent 

After  these  great  suits  came  the  war  and  its  great  legal  issues. 
In  its  need  for  means  to  prosecute  the  struggle  laid  at  the  nation's 
door,  it  issued  paper  money  stamped  with  the  broad  seal  of  the 
Treasury  of  the  United  States,  and  made  it  a  legal  tender  for  the 
payment  of  all  indebtedness,  public  and  private.  Consequent  upon 
the  issue  of  paper  currency  came  the  rapid  appreciation  of  gold  and 
silver,  the  metals  named  as  the  stipulated  payments  of  deeds,  and 
bonds,  and  mortgages  throughout  the  Union.  Holders  of  such  secu- 
rities refused  legal  tenders  in  liquidation  of  their  obligations  and 
demanded  specie;  This  brought  before  the  courts  the  constitution- 
ality of  the  legal  tender  act,  a  question  freighted  with  more  import- 
ance to  the  success  of  the  nation  than  the  safety  of  an  army.  A 
test  case  was  made  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania,  and  its 
history  was  this.  A  lady,  named  Brinton,  had  a  ground  rent  deed 
requiring  interest  to  be  paid  in  silver  coin,  and  containing  a  clause 
of  extinguishment  for  non-fulfilment  of  this  contract  Under  the 
deed,  Mr.  Shollenberger  'was  ground-rent  tenant  In  the  winter  of 
1862  he  offered  payment  in  legal  tender  notes  which  was  refused, 
and  the  extingviishment  of  the  ground  rent  demanded.  He  demur- 
red, and  Mrs.  Brinton  appealed  to  the  court  of  Nisi  Prius  to  compel 
the  execution  of  the  papers  anniilling  the  contract  She  came  into 
court  supported  by  Wm.  M.  Meredith  and  Joseph  B.  Townsend. 

Mr.  Brewster  represented  Mr.  Shollenberger.     The  case  was  ably 

104 


FREDERICK     CARROLL     BREWSTER. 

argued  and  won  by  Mr.  Brewster.  He  claimed  that  Congress,  the 
law-making  power  of  the  nation,  had  authority  to  pass  a  law  which 
could  change  a  contract  executed  before  the  date  of  the  law.  Justice 
Agnew,  sitting  in  A^isi  Prius,  affirmed  the  soundness  of  this  argu- 
ment, and  gave  decision  against  Mrs.  Brinton.  She  appealed  to  a 
full  bench  and  was  again  defeated,  Mr.  Brewster  twice  successfully 
contesting  her  claim.  In  other  States  the  same  question  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  courts,  and  decided  in  the  same  manner  upon  the  same 
point  of  law  raised  by  Mr.  Brewster  in  Pennsylvania.  The  question 
carried  with  it  consequences  which,  in  the  extremity  of  the  country's 
necessities,  no  man  could  then  have  estimated. 

Up  to  this  time  Mr.  Brewster  had  held  no  political  office.  He 
had  been  repeatedly  pressed  for  nomination  to  high  public  trusts, 
yet  had  steadily  declined  to  enter  the  political  field.  But,  at  that 
period,  a  special  necessity  arose.  Vital  legal  questions  were  being 
forced  to  the  surface  by  the  war.  The  city  was  issuing  millions  of 
loans  to  further  the  enlistment  of  troops.  Financial  interests  of  a 
value  unknown  in  previous  years  were  demanding  attention.  The 
Girard  Trust  was  in  peril.  The  Chestnut  St  Bridge  act  was  ques- 
tioned by  interested  capitalists,  and  issues,  in  the  proper  solution  of 
which  the  people  of  Philadelphia  were  deeply  concerned,  were  agi- 
tated by  the  press  and  foreshadowed  in  the  courts.  It  was  necessary 
to  commit  the  interests  of  the  city  to  no  unsafe  hands,  and  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  recognizing  the  fact,  placed  Wm.  L.  Hirst  in  nomina- 
tion for  City  Solicitor.  The  Republicans,  without  any  consultation 
with  that  gentleman,  nominated  Mr.  Brewster.  An  independent 
movement  outside  of  party  influence  was  at  once  organized  to  elect 
him.  The  most  prominent  merchants  and  business  men  of  the  city 
endorsed  the  nomination,  and  laying  aside  party  influences,  recom- 
mended his  election.  He  was  elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  his 
course  as  Solicitor  gave  to  that  office  for  the  first  time  in  its  histoiy 
the  credit  and  importance  which  had  always  been  its  due. 

Soon  after  his  induction  into  office  he  was  called  upon  to  try  the 
validity  of  the  bequests  of  Stephen  Gii-ard  to  the  city  of  Philadel- 
phia. That  merchant  at  the  close  of  a  long  and  eccentric  life,  dis- 
tributed his  fortune  in  princely  charities.  To  Philadelphia  he  gave 
the  bulk  of  his  wealth,  stipulating  that  it  should  be  employed  to 
educate  the  destitute  orphans  of  tiiat  great  municipalit}'.  The  legacy 
was  known  as  the  "  Girard  College  Trust,"  and  consisted  of  huge 
tracts  of  real  estate.     The  block  of  ground  between  Chestnut  and 

106 


FREDERICK     CARROLL     BREWSTER. 

Market,  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Streets,  was  one  of  the  grants  of  this 
will.  So  also  was  the  corner  at  Third  and  Chestnut,  so  long  known 
as  the  newspaper  headquarters  of  Philadelphia.  So  also  was  a  broad 
belt  of  land  in  Kentuckj^,  and  a  section  of  the  coal  fields  of  Schuyl- 
kill county  no  less  than  28  miles  square.  The  heirs  of  Mr.  Girard 
sought  to  overturn  the  will  of  the  founder  of  Girard  College,  and 
divide  the  estate  which  is  the  source  of  income  to  that  institution 
They  commenced  operations  in  the  district  court  of  Schuylkill  coun- 
ty, and  attacked  the  will  upon  the  legal  quibble  that  it  created  a 
pei"petuity.  It  has  long  been  a  recognized  principle  of  law  that  no 
perpetual  investiture  of  real  estate  can  be  made  by  a  testament.  The 
law  steps  in  and  limits  the  period  for  which  property  may  be  devised 
to  one-and-twenty  years  after  the  life  of  the  person  to  whom  the  real 
estate  be  willed.  On  this  stand-point  the  heirs  contested  the  will. 
They  brought  the  matter  to  issue  before  Judge  Higgins,  and  the 
case  was  decided  in  their  favor.  The  best  men  of  the  Pennsylvania 
bar  were  engaged  in  the  controversy.  H.  D.  Foster,  Ex-Judge  Par- 
ry, Frank  Hughes,  Ex-Judge  Knox,  Mr.  Dewees,  and  Mr.  Coats 
were  retained  for  the  heirs.  Ed.  Olmstead,  J.  H.  Campbell,  Wm. 
M.  Meredith,  and  David  Sellers  represented  the  city.  This  was  the 
situation  when  Mr.  Brewster  entered  upon  his  duties  as  City  Solici- 
tor. He  at  once  appealed,  and  carried  the  case  into  the  Supreme 
Court.  In  1863  it  was  re-argued  before  that  tribunal  at  HaiTisburg, 
and  he  conducted  the  defence.  The  same  eminent  counsel  were  em- 
ployed, and  every  effort  made  to  break  down  the  will  of  Mr.  Girard. 
His  heirs  cited  the  case  of  Mr.  Thelusson  in  England,  who,  years 
ago,  willed  a  certain  piece  of  real  estate  handicapped  with  restric- 
tions that  prohibited  transfer  or  sale  for  centuries.  At  the  end  of 
that  time,  the  quaint  old  Englishman  reasoned  that  his  real  estate 
would  be  the  most  valuable  individual  property  in  Europe,  and  the 
name  of  Thelusson  the  most  honored  among  men.  The  courts  of 
Great  Britain  disquieted  the  ashes  of  the  devisee  by  declaring  his 
will  void,  because  it  created  a  perpetuity.  Mr.  Brewster  resisted 
this  argument  with  two-fold  reasoning.  First,  he  argued  that  the 
charity  saved  the  perpetuity,  and  that  the  alienation  of  the  lands  was 
sustained  by  the  charity.  Second,  that  if  the  condition  of  alienation 
could  not  be  sustained,  and  the  lands  had  to  be  sold  to  avoid  a  per- 
petuity, the  benefit  of  the  sale  would  belong  not  to  the  heirs,  but  to 
the  city  of  Philadelphia,  to  be  employed  in  trust  for  the  support  of 

Girard  College.     This  doctriue  was  afl&rmed  by  the  Court,  and  the 

X06 


FRKDEKICK  CARROLL  BREWSTER. 

city  retained  the  magnificent  dower  of'its  noblest  educational  institu- 
tion, TLie  heirs  made  an  etfort  to  secure  the  interference  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  United  States,  but  that  high  judiciary  wisely 
concluded  they  had  no  business  to  meddle  in  Pennsylvania's  local 
matters,  and  the  curtain  fell  upon  the  last  act  But  to  Mr.  Brewster 
tlie  credit  of  the  successful  defence  of  this  great  property  is  mainly 
due.  The  wisdom  of  those  who  induced  hun  to  become  the  legal 
guardian  of  the  city's  interests  was  abundantly  proved  by  his  man- 
agement of  this  great  suit.  Defeat  in  it  would  have  been  alike  a 
shame  upon  our  civilization  and  a  blot  upon  our  humanity. 

Following  closely  on  this  came  the  Chestnut  Street  Bridge  case, 
in  which  the  right  of  the  city  to  bridge  the  Schuylkill  was  called 
into  so  serious  question  that  only  one  majority  in  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States  saved  to  Philadelphia  this  invaluable 
privilege.  The  legislature  at  different  times  authorized  many  bridges 
over  this  river.  Of  these  few  were  built  The  old  permanent  bridge 
first  wedded  the  lands  on  either  side  of  the  Schuylkill,  and  after  it 
came  the  bridges  at  Fairmouut,  Gray's  Ferry,  and  Girard  Avenue. 
To  the  erection  of  these  no  opposition  was  made.  The  railroad 
bridge  was  provided  with  a  dr.iw,  but  the  rest  were  closed  bridges. 
When  however  it  was  proposed  to  bridge  the  Schuylkill  at  Cliestnut 
street,  trouble  arose.  A  Mr.  Gilman  owned  a  wharf  on  the  river 
near  Market  street,  and  owned  also  a  schooner  which  could  not  pass 
under  the  proposed  bridge  without  abbreviating  her  rigging.  He 
therefore  appealed  to  the  Supreme  Coui-t  of  the  United  States  to  re- 
strain the  city  from  erecting  the  bridge.  The  case  was  one  of  pecu- 
liar interest  to  Philadelphia.  The  need  of  the  bridge  was  impera- 
tive, and  the  right  of  the  State  to  govern  its  own  rivers  was  a  ques- 
tion that  went  point  blank  to  the  State  pride  of  every  Peunsylvanian. 
Mr.  Gilman  claimed  that  under  a  clause  of  the  Constitution,  vesting 
in  Congress  jurisdiction  over  navigable  rivera,  the  State  had  no  put 
in  the  matter.  Mr.  Brewster,  as  Citj-  Solicitor,  conducted  the  case 
for  the  city,  assisted  by  Mr.  Sellers.  George  Harding  and  Courtland 
Parker,  of  New  Jersey,  were  counsel  for  the  claimant  Mr.  Brewster's 
argument  in  this  case  was  pronounced  by  all  parties  one  of  the  ablest 
legal  efforts  made  before  the  national  court  during  Mr.  Lincoln's 
Administration.  He  argued  that  the  Schuylkill  tidal,  seven  and  a 
half  miles  from  its  mouth,  lying  entirely  within  the  boundaries  of 
that  commonwealth  and  the  outlet  of  its  great  coal  fields,  was  exclu' 

sively  subject  to  State  jurisdiction,  and  the  court  so  decided.     But 

1J7 


FREDERICK     CARROLL     BREWSTER. 

the  decision  was  too  close  to  be  comfortable.  Justices  Swayne,  Grier, 
Miller,  and  Field  gave  the  decision.  Justices  Crawford,  Warper,  and 
Davis  dissented.  The  success  of  Mr.  Brewster  in  this  case  was  signal 
and  almost  unexpected.  The  hearing  was  immediately  subsequent 
to  that  of  the  Wheeling  bridge  case  which  was  adversely  decided. 
To  the  city  the  results  of  the  decision  were  immeasurable.  Practi- 
cally it  gave  to  Philadelphia  the  right  to  cover  a  river  which  other- 
wise it  would  have  been  necessary  to  bridge  at  the  height  of  the 
house  tops  and  cross  by  Ijalloon  posts, 

A  few  months  after  this,  there  came  up  the  most  important  case 
in  which  Pennsylvania,  during  the  war,  had  pecuniary  interest  It 
was  the  testing  of  the  validity  of  the  act  of  the  legislature  authorizing 
loans  for  bounties.  How  the  bonus  of  liberal  bounties  was  every- 
where offered  to  stimulate  recruiting  is  matter  of  history.  No  less 
than  thirty  milli(5ns  of  dollars  were  pledged  for  that  purpose  in 
Pennsylvania  alone,  raised  by  loans  of  cities,  towns,  boroughs,  and 
school  districts,  and  all  this  vast  interest  was  imperilled  by  legal 
action  brought  before  the  court.  It  happened  after  this  wise.  The 
school  directors  of  Blaii-sville,  under  the  authority  of  the  act  of  As. 
sembly,  commenced  contracting  a  loan  for  the  payment  of  bounties. 
A  bill  was  filed  to  restrain  them  from  carrying  out  this  purpose,  and 
the  issue  opened  in  the  Common  Pleas  of  Indiana  county.  That 
tribunal  pronounced  adversely  to  the  contestants,  and  an  appeal  was 
made  to  the  Supreme  Court.  The  appeal  was  heard  before  three 
of  the  judges  of  that  body,  and  a  re-argument  before  the  full  bench 
ordered.  The  city  of  Philadelphia,  having  pledged  her  faith  for  the 
payment  of  a  large  amount  of  bounties  under  this  act  of  the  legisla- 
ture, applied  for  pennjssion  to  be  made  a  party  to  the  suit  and  was 
permitted  to  become  a  participant.  Mr.  Brewster  represented  the 
city  and  conducted  the  defence.  He  argued  the  constitutionality  of 
the  question  against  counsel  no  less  able  than  Ex-Chief-Justices 
Black  and  Lowrie,  and  at  the  close  of  the  case  was  awarded  decision 
in  his  favor  on  every  constitutional  point  submitted  during  the  case. 
The  decision  in  this  cause  excited  deep  interest  in  every  loyal  State 
in  the  Union.  Political  partisanship  and  misguided  economy  alike 
dictated  opposition  to  the  bounty  acts  in  hundreds  of  localities 
throughout  the  North.  The  case  before  the  Supreme  Court  was 
therefore  regarded  as  a  test  issue,  and   an   unfavorable  judgment 

would  have  opened  the  matter  in  a  hundred  courts.     That  the  matter 
^  108 


FREDERICK     CARROLL     BREWSTER. 

was  settled  and  put  to  rest  forever,  was  principally  owing  to  the 
management  it  received  at  the  hands  of  Solicitor  Brewster. 

During  his  jjublic  service  in  behalf  of  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Brewster 
conducted  many  private  causes.  One  of  them,  perhaps,  the  most 
exciting  trial  of  his  life,  and  one  in  which  he  displa^'cd  his  finest 
powers  as  a  pleader  at  the  bar.  It  was  a  case  that  had  no  public 
interest,  and  few  knew  even  by  name  the  contest  attached  to  the 
wHl  of  Adam  Mintzer.  That  gentleman  was  a  retired  merchant  of 
large  means  and  respectable  connections.  lie  had  thi-ee  grown 
daughters,  and  over  this  little  family  presided  a  housekeeper  by 
whose  agency  the  deepest  distress  was  brought  under  his  roof.  She 
was  a  woman  of  intriguing  disposition,  destitute  of  womanliness  and 
of  charity.  Yet  Mr.  Mintzer  married  her,  and  as  his  wife,  gave 
her  authority  over  his  children.  To  these  girls,  tenderly  and  luxu- 
riously reared,  she  proved  a  fiend,  for  by  no  other  word  can  her 
heartlessness  be  expi-essed.  One  she  drove  from  under  the  father's 
roof  into  a  house  of  prostitution.  Another  she  expelled  to  find 
refuge  with  strangers,  and  the  third  died  broken-hearted  at  the  sor- 
row that  had  entered  the  once  happy  home.  This  latter  was  the 
wife  of  Geo.  C.  Evans,  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  in  the  Third 
District,  and  a  woman  whose  life  was  blameless.  Yet  even  upon 
this  dead  girl  the  stepmother  poured  the  venom  of  a  pitiless  woman's 
tongue.  Mr.  Mintzer  died,  leaving  a  will,  bequeathing  to  his  wife 
all  his  property.  T'his  the  living  daughters  contested,  claiming  that 
undue  influence  had  been  exercised  to  induce  the  devisor  to  cut  off 
his  children  without  a  penny.  The  case  came  before  Judge  Ludlow, 
with  Wm.  Henry  Eawle  as  the  advocate  of  the  wife,  and  Mr.  Brews- 
ter the  counsellor  of  the  children.  Those  who  heard  that  trial  will 
never  forget  it  It  was  a  strange  scene  for  a  Philadelphia  court 
house  to  be  filled  with  weeping  audiences,  and  yet  during  the  entire 
days  of  the  trial  there  were  few  dry  eyes  in  the  court  room.  Mrs. 
Evans  had  no  connection  with  the  case.  She  was  dead  when  it 
commenced,  died  before  her  father,  but  when  the  contest  about  the 
will  came  into  court,  Mrs.  Mintzer  calumniated  the  dead  and  tra- 
duced her  chastity.  Mr.  Brewster's  counter  to  this  came  with  ter- 
rible force.  There  were  scenes  of  tragic  interest  during  the  testhnony 
given  in  the  case.  One  of  the  witnesses,  a  gray-haired  father,  de- 
scribed with  broken  voice  the  exit  of  the  daughter  from  Mr.  Mint- 
zer's  house,  the  night  she  entered  a  home  of  prostitution.     The  girl 

for  hours  sat  facing  lier  father's  home,  looking  with  stony  eyes  at  the 

109 


FREDEEICK     CARROLL     BREWSTER. 

lighted  windows,  recounting  the  buried  days  of  pleasure,  thinking  of 
the  touch  and  voice  of  her  dead  mother,  and  then  with  hesitating 
feet  and  broken  heart  went  down  into  the  social  death  which  for 
woman  knows  no  resurrection.  But  when  Mr.  Brewster  denounced 
the  living  for  its  slander  of  the  dead,  the  Common  Pleas  of  Phila- 
delphia seemed  like  a  moui-ner's  bethel.  The  advocate  said  that 
more  than  three  thousand  years  ago  it  was  written  in  letters  of  gold 
upon  a  heathen  idol,  "  Say  nothing  of  the  dead  save  that  which  is 
good."  The  heathen  learning  their  lesson  from  nature,  saw  that  in 
the  animal  kingdom  respect  was  paid  the  dead.  The  king  of  beasts, 
the  lion,  met  his  foe  with  tameless  fury,  but  passed  by  the  dead  body 
of  his  enemies  with  softened  tread.  The  tiger  fought  with  savage 
desperation  until  its  adversary  lay  lifeless  by  its  side,  when  it  stepped 
from  the  corpse  that  in  death  it  could  not  mutilate.  Only  to  one 
animal,  the  hyena,  was  it  given  to  feed  upon  the  dead.  Only  to  one 
woman,  the  stepmother,  was  it  permitted  to  strike  down  the  reputa- 
tion of  children  gathered  home  by  God  to  their  eternal  resting  place. 
"  The  time  will  come,"  said  Mr.  Brewster,  "  when  this  woman  shall 
stand  before  a  Judge  greater  than  you,  your  Honor ;  when  she  will 
be  tried  by  a  power  mightier  than  yours,  gentlemen  of  the  jury  ; 
when  she  will  be  met  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ  by  this  poor 
homeless  girl,  who  was  driven  from  her  father's  door  into  a  life  of 
prostitution  and  shame,  and  whea  this  poor  girl  comes  to  that  judg- 
ment seat  with  her  bleeding  hands  uplifted  for  justice  against  her 
destroyer,  this  woman  will  call  upon  the  mountains  to  fall  upon  her, 
and  forever  cover  her  from  the  sight  of  God  and  of  men." 

The  spell  in  the  court  room  was  such  as  no  court  room  in  the 
United  States  had  seen  since  the  days  when  S.  S.  Prentiss  swayed 
with  his  eloquence  the  mobile  people  of  Mississippi.  The  jury  were 
in  tears.  Sobs  were  heard  from  every  part  of  the  room,  and  Judge 
Ludlow  wept  like  a  child.  When  the  argument  of  Mr.  Brewster  was 
concluded,  the  jury,  with  oue  voice,  gave  verdict  against  the  will. 
Mr.  Eawle  appealed  for  a  new  trial,  and,  in  his  application,  gave  the 
almost  unexampled  reason,  that  so  irresistible  had  been  the  eloquence 
of  Mr.  Brewster  that  no  twelve  sane  men  in  the  world  could  have 
failed  to  be  controlled  by  it.  The  new  trial  was  granted  by  Judge 
Ludlow  upon  that  point,  that  inflexible  arbiter  stating  that  it  was 
impossible  for  any  jury  to  resist  so  eloquent  an  appeal  as  had  been 
addressed  to  their  feelings  by  the  counsellor  for  the  children.  The 
case  was,   however,  never  re-tried.     Mrs.  Mintzer  compromised  it, 

110 


FREDERICK  CARROLL  BREWSTER. 

ceding  to  the  contestants  the  major  portion  of  her  husband's  estate. 
Had  the  case  reached  a  second  issue,  she  would  have  left  the  coiirt 
room  penniless. 

At  the  close  of  his  first  term  as  City  Solicitor  Mr.  Brewster  was 
re-elected,  but  his  second  term  was  very  brief  An  additional  Judge 
was  required  in  the  Philadelphia  courts,  and  the  legislature  provided 
for  the  election  of  another  member  of  the  judiciary.  To  this  posi- 
tion he  was  elected.  He  presided  during  the  celebrated  Twitchell 
trial,  and  his  rulings  in  that  case  were  noted  for  their  justness  and 
clearness.  His  judicial  record  gave  him  new  credit,  and  he  left  the 
station  to  accept  the  Attorney-Generalship  of  the  Commonwealth. 
That  eminent  post  he  still  retains,  and  will  leave  it,  no  doubt,  to 
assume  new  and  more  responsible  positions  where  his  enlarged  expe- 
rience may  prove  of  benefit  to  Pennsylvania. 

How  Mr.  Brewster  has  been  so  signally  successful  may  be  readily 
explained.  The  secret  of  his  life-long  fortune  at  the  bar  has  been 
application.  Added  to  his  habits  of  industry,  he  has  been  one  of  the 
best  informed  men  in  our  midst  His  private  life  is  but  a  duplicate 
of  his  public  service,  and  the  shadow  of  suspicion  has  never  attached 
to  an  act  of  either.  He  is  a  lawyer  who  never  browbeated  a  witness ; 
a  pleader  who  never  tried  to  win  a  cause  by  personal  abuse  of  those 
contesting  it;  a  citizen  whose  views  of  public  questions  were  always 
conservatiye  but  progressive;  a  Christian  gentleman  whose  influence 
has  been  that  of  an  upright  example  and  consistent  walk.  Such 
men  are  the  hope  and  ti-ust  of  the  nation. 

Ul 


J^^ 


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JOIIX   ALLKX. 


«:^, 


mi 


'(;• 


^?|JR.  JOHN  ALLEX.  of  Ne^y  York  City,  is  a  descendant 
f  the  Ethan   Allen  familj-,  of  Vermont.     For  more 


=T%^  tlian  forty  years  past  he  has  been   conspicnously  iden 

r  titled  with  the  progress  and  development  of  dentistry 
m  tlie  United  States,  and  now  ranks  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  representative  men  of  his  ]irofession.  He  was 
one  of  the  early  practitioners  of  Dental  Surgery  in  tlie  State  of 
Ohio,  where  he  commenced  his  labors  in  1S30,  in  Cincinnati.  At 
that  time  human  teeth  were  inserted  as  artificial  substitutes,  also 
tlie  teeth  of  cows  and  other  animals.  In  preparing  these  for  use 
the  crowns  of  the  teeth  were  cut  off  from  the  roots  and  the  pulps 
removed,  after  which  they  were  preserved  in  spirits  of  wine  until 
ready  for  service.  Carved  dentures  from  the  tusk  of  the  hippopot- 
onms  were  also  used  for  this  purpose,  as  porcelain  teeth  had  not 
at  that  period  been  brought  into  practical  use,  althou;.ih  some 
fruitless  experiments  had  been  attempted  both  in  France  and  in 
this  country. 

When  the  practicability  of  mineral  teeth  as  artificial  substi- 
tutes became  established,  Dr.  Allen  sought  and  obtained  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  their  manufacture,  that  he  might  be  better 
able  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  various  cases  which  occur  in 
dental  practice.  Single  and  block  teeth,  when  well  mounted  upon 
gold  plates,  were  considered  the  highest  style  of  artificial  dentis- 
try that  had  been  attained.  But  still  there  were  defects  that 
even  this  method  had  failed  to  overcome.  And  although  he  had 
reached  the  maximum  in  the  production  of  this  style  of  work, 
yet  the  seams  and  fissures,  the  stiff,  mechanical  appearance,  and 
in  many  instances  a  failure  to  restore  the  natural  form  and  expres- 
sion of  the  mouth  and  face,  were  serious  obstacles  yet  to  be  re- 
moved, and  to  rest  satisfied  with  such  an  imperfect  method  was 
to  stop  short  of  what  was  required  for  artificial  dentistry. 

113 


JOHN     ALLEN. 

To  meet  this  apparent  demand  for  some  mode  by  which  more 
perfect  results  could  be  obtained,  Dr.  Allen  resolved  to  commence 
various  experiments  with  a  view  of  working  out  a  new  system  he 
had  conceived,  but  which  was  yet  vague  and  chaotic,  a  mere  germ. 
But  the  how  to  develop  his  system  led  through  a  dark  and  tangled 
way,  along  an  untrodden  path,  with  no  light  but  that  which  he 
had  made  for  himself  as  he  advanced  towards  the  goal  where  he 
had  placed  his  mark. 

His  first  steps  ia  this  direction  were  to  test  the  practicability 
of  raising  the  sunken  portions  of  the  face,  in  cases  where  the  orig- 
inal form  and  expression  had  become  sunken  or  changed  by  the 
loss  of  teeth  and  consequent  absorption  of  the  alveolar  processes. 

This  was  a  new  feature  in  dental  practice,  for,  as  yet,  there 
were  no  records  to  show  that  it  could  be  done  by  artificial  means 
without  doing  injury  to  the  parts  raised.  This  was  a  question  he 
resolved  to  settle  by  thoroughly  testing  its  feasibility.  The  re- 
sult of  his  efforts  proved  successful.  He  then  brought  the  sub- 
ject before  the  American  Society  of  Dental  Surgeons  and  clearly 
demonstrated  to  that  body  its  practicability.  The  Society  signified 
their  appreciation  of  this  contribution  to  dental  science  by  award- 
inw  him  a  gold  medal,  upon  one  side  of  which  is  a  beautilul  en- 
graving representing  the  temple  of  science  with  a  light  upon  the 
top  reflecting  its  rays  in  all  directions.  To  this  device  the  follow- 
ino-  sentence  is  prefixed  :  "  Societas  Americana  Qui  Dentium 
Vitia  Curant."  Upon  the  other  side  are  these  words,  "Awarded 
to  Dr.  John  Allen  for  his  invention  for  restoring  the  contour  of 
the  face,  Aug.  1845." 

This  question  being  settled  for  all  future  time,  his  next  efforts 
were  directed  to  the  working  out  of  his  conceived  idea  of  a  pro- 
cess by  means  of  which  to  overcome  the  defects  that  existed  in 
what  was  called  plate  work.  As  teeth  were  then  mounted  on 
metallic  plates,  three  different  parts  or  substances  were  employed, 
viz.  :  the  teeth,  the  plate  and  the  solder,  but  to  accomplish  his 
purpose,  another  substance  must  be  added  in  the  form  of  a  fusible^ 
flesh-colored  enamel  with  which  to  form  an  artificial  gum,  roof 
and  ruo-a'  of  the  mouth,  without  seam  or  crevice.  If  this  fourth 
substance  could  be  obtained  and  properly  adapted  to  dentures,  he 
deemed  it  of  sufficient  importance  to  justify  the  most  earnest  re- 
searches. But  to  get  this  substance  out  of  chaos  required  various 
preparations  of  minerals,  metals,  oxides,  pigments,  fluxes,  precipi- 

114 


JOHN     ALLEN. 

tates,  etc.,  etc.  These,  together  with  the  exact  proportion  of  each 
constituent  necessary  to  produce  the  desired  result.s,  were  brought 
into  requisition.  Tliis  required  much  time,  perseverance  and  ex- 
penditure, attended  with  successive  series  of  experiments,  ever 
Tarying  with  the  quality,  quantity  and  manipulations  of  the  ma- 
terials used.  Here  was  a  large  field  for  explorations,  in  which  he 
could  make  haste  slowly,  as  he  had  no  borrowed  light  from  any 
successful  predecessor.  Many  of  his  earlier  experiments  were  made 
upon  gold  plates,  as  they  were  considered  the  best  for  dental  pur- 
poses that  were  then  in  use.  But  experience  proved  to  liim  that 
an  enamel  that  would  flow  upon  a  gold  plate  wotild  not  stand  the 
secretions  of  the  mouth,  for  the  reason  that  too  much  flux  was  re- 
quired in  the  compound  in  order  to  make  it  flow  at  a  less  heat 
than  the  melting  point  of  gold,  which  is  below  two  thousand  de- 
grees ;  consequently  this  line  of  experiments  proved  a  failure. 

Another  series  of  experiments  was  then  commenced,  with 
platinum  plate  ;  which  was  difficult  to  obtain,  as  no  plate  of  this 
kind  was  then  in  the  market  for  such  a  purpose.  But  it  must  be 
had,  and  was  procured  at  a  price  corresponding  with  the  scarcity 
and  value  of  this  metal.  With  this  j^late  for  a  base,  which  no 
furnace  heat  would  melt,  and  with  new  formulas  of  different  prep- 
arations and  proportions,  a  much  harder,  flesh-colored  enamel  was 
at  length  obtained,  which  could  not  be  affected  by  the  secretions 
of  the  mouth,  and  in  point  of  appearance  (with  proper  manipula- 
tion) produced  results  true  to  nature.  This  achievement,  together 
with  the  one  previously  made  by  him  for  restoring  the  contour  of 
the  face,  completed  his  system  for  constructing  artificial  dentures. 
This  method  combines  four  important  advantages  not  previously 
obtained  : 

FiKST. — By  means  of  a  beautiful  flesh-colored  enamel,  the 
teeth  are  garnished  with  an  artificial  gum,  roof  and  ruga^  of  the 
mouth  (without  seam  or  crevice),  witli  all  the  delicate  tints  and 
shades  ])eculiar  to  those  of  nature. 

Second. — A  trutliful  expression  is  given  to  the  teeth  by 
arranging  them  either  symmetrically  or  irregularly,  as  the  patient 
may  require. 

Third. — The  sunken  portions  of  the  face  can  be  restored  by 
means  of  attachments  or  prominences,  made  upon  the  denture,  of 
such  form  and  size  as  to  meet  the  requirements  of  each  particular 
-case. 

115 


JOHN    ALLEN. 

Fourth. — No  metal  plate  or  unnatural  appearing  substance 
can  be  seen  in  the  mouth  of  the  wearer,  when  laughing,  singing  or 
yawning. 

This  advance  in  dental  science  elicited  many  comments  at  the 
time,  not  only  in  dental  and  medical  journals,  but  also  in  various 
scientific  and  other  works  of  art.  But  as  we  have  not  space  here 
to  make  extracts  from  them,  we  will  present  to  the  reader  Dr. 
Allen's  views  as  to  the  various  requirements  of  artificial  teeth, 
which  are  gathered  from  some  of  his  writings  upon  this  subject. 

"  lu  Older  f  o  inotliice  a  pleasing  aud  natural  expression  of  the  teeth,  they 
should  be  in  iierfect  harmonj'  with  all  the  other  features  of  the  face.  It  is  not 
always  the  most  beautiful  and  symmetrical  artificial  teeth  which  appear  best 
in  the  mouth.  On  the  contrary,  slight  irregularities  often  appear  the  most  nat- 
ural. The  teeth  give  character  to  the  physiognomy  of  persons ;  therefore,  as 
great  a  variety  of  expressions  should  be  given  to  them  as  there  are  individuals 
for  whom  they  are  intended.  Those  of  bold  and  strongly  marked  featiu'es  re- 
quire prominent  aud  irregular  teeth;  persons  of  thiu  small  visage  should  have 
small  convex  teeth  ;  and  a  broad  full  face  should  have  larger  teeth,  with  less 
convexity.  If  the  teeth  are  set  very  true  and  even,  they  will  appear  stiff  and 
mechanical,  and  serve  as  a  walking  advertisemeut  for  the  dentist  who  inserted 
them.  There  should  be  a  graceful  irregularity  in  most  cases,  so  that  each  tooth 
may  display  its  natural  individuality. 

"That  artificial  teeth  may  lie  useful  for  masticating,  they  shoulil  bo  placed 
ui>on  the  plate  aud  articulated  in  such  a  manner  as  to  have  the  pressure  in 
chewing  come  upon  the  inner  rather  than  the  outer  margin  of  the  alveolar 
ridges.  This  position  of  the  teetli  will  prevent  the  plates  from  becoming  dis- 
lodged from  one  side,  while  chewiug  upou  the  opposite,  aud  secures  permaueuce 
in  mastication. 

"  There  are  also  several  other  points  to  be  taken  iuto  consideration,  viz.  : 
The  length,  the  size,  the  shade,  aud  the  positiou  of  the  teeth. 

"  The  length  should  tlepend  upon  the  width  of  the  lips  that  are  to  cover  them 
aud  the  degree  of  aljsorption  of  the  alveolar  ridge.  If  the  teeth  are  too  short 
the  muscles  which  connect  the  jaws  become  contracted ;  this  brings  the  nose 
and  chin  into  closer  proximity  with  each  other;  aud  when  closed  the  lips  are 
compressed  or  protruded,  which  changes  iu  a  greater  or  less  degree  the  fonn  aud 
expression  of  the  mouth,  aud  other  itortions  of  tlie  face.  If  too  long,  they  ex- 
hibit a  ghastly  look,  and  the  lips  will  uot  close  over  them  without  a  muscular 
effort  which  produces  distortion.  As  a  general  rule  the  frout  teeth  should  be 
long  enough  to  disjilay  their  points,  or  cuttiug  edges,  a  little  below  the  upper 
and  above  the  under  lip,  wheu  iu  their  natural  iJositiou.  The  side  and  back 
teeth  should  be  of  such  length  as  to  allow  the  lips  to  come  together  \\ithout 
compression  or  distortion  ;  this  will  give  to  the  face  its  due  proportion  of  length, 
and  display  a  jdeasaut  expression  of  the  teeth.  The  size  of  the  teeth  should 
hiar  adi.e  [iroportion  to  the  other  features  of  the  iiice.  The  shade  should  har- 
monize with  the  complexion  of  the  person  for  whom  they  are  intended.  If  they 
are  too  white,  they  exhibit  a  glaring  uunatiual  appearance,  which  tells  they  are 
artificial.  If  too  dark,  they  will  uot  appear  sweet  and  healthy.  They  should 
be  a  little  darker  next  th"  gum  thau  at  the  points.  In  short,  there  should  be  a 
harmonious  blending  of  the  shades  of  the  teeth,  gums,  lips,  and  complexion. 

116 


JOHN     A  L  I.  i:  N  . 

Here  the  skill  of  the  iirtist  is  re([iurea,  iu  order  to  avoid  an  uiiuatiiral  contrast 
tbat  would  lead  to  detection.  The  deutist  who  is  a  true  art izau,  is  not  aiiilii- 
tions  to  have  his  work  bear  the  impress  of  artiticial  teeth,  but  on  the  contrary, 
that  they  should  iiossess  that  depth  of  tone,  natmal  form,  and  truthful  expres- 
sion which  characterize  the  natural  organs.  Varying  the  pomtion  of  the  teeth 
■will  change  the  appearance  of  the  mouth,  just  in  propiution  as  tlicy  differ  from 
the  natural  teeth.  Hence,  in  many  persons,  their  former  expression  is  almost 
entirely  lost,  and  distortion  takes  the  place  of  symmetry. 

A  want  of  taste  aud  skill  in  the  construction  and  adaptation  of  artilicial  teeth 
results  in  rude  and  graceless  work,  which  contrasts  -widely  with  that  of  the  true 
artizan,  who  carefully  studies  the  tone,  position,  and  expression  of  every  tooth, 
and  restores  the  harmony  which  nature  had  originally  stamped  upon  the  features 
of  his  patient.  A  few  slight  touches  of  the  brush  iu  the  hands  of  a  skillful  artist 
will  change  the  whole  expression  of  his  picture.  So  with  the  teeth;  a  slight 
inclination,  outward  or  inward,  or  variation  in  length,  will  change  the  entire ex- 
jtression  of  the  mouth.  , 

The  face  is  formed  of  different  muscles,  which  give  it  shape  aud  expression. 
These  muscles  rest  upon  the  teeth  and  alveolar  processes,  which  sust.ain  them 
in  their  proper  position.  When  the  teeth  are  lost,  and  a  consciiuent  absorption 
of  the  alveolus  takes  i^lace,  the  muscles  fall  in,  or  become  sunken  iu  a  greater  or 
less  degree,  according  to  the  temperament  of  the  person.  If  the  lymphatic 
predominates,  the  change  will  be  but  slight.  If  nervous  sanguine,  it  may  be 
very  great.  There  are  four  points  of  the  face  which  the  mere  insertion  of  the 
teeth  does  not  always  restore,  viz :  one  upon  each  .side,  beneath  the  malar  or 
check  bone  ;  and  one  upon  each  side  of  the  baae  of  the  no.se,  in  a  line  towards 
the  fi-out  portion  of  the  malar  bone. 

The  muscles  situated  upon  the  sides  of  the  face,  and  which  rest  upon  the 
molar  or  back  teeth,  are  the  Zygomatieus  Major,  Masseter  and  Buccinator.  The 
loss  of  the  above  teeth  causes  these  muscles  to  iall  in. 

The  principle  muscles  which  form  the  front  portion  of  the  face  and  lips  are 
Zygomatieus  minor.  Levator  lalvii  superioris  aheque  nasi  and  Orbicularis  oris. 

These  rest  upon  the  front,  eye  and  biscupid  teeth  ;  which,  when  lost,  allow 
the  muscles  to  sink  iu,  thereby  changing  the  form  and  expression  of  the  mouth. 

The  insertion  of  the  firont  teeth  will,  in  a  great  mea-siue,  biiug  out  the  lips, 
but  there  are  two  miisdes  in  the  front  portion  of  the  face  which  cannot,  iu  many 
cases  be  thus  restored  to  their  original  position  ;  one  is  the  Zygomatieus  minor, 
which  arises  from  the  front  part  of  the  malar  bone,  and  is  inserted  into  the  upper 
lip  .above  the  angle  of  the  mouth.  The  other  is  the  Levator  labii  superioris 
aheque  nasi,  which  arises  from  the  nasal  process  aud  from  the  edge  of  the  orbit 
above  the  infra  orbitar  foramea.  It  is  inserted  into  the  ala  nasi  or  wing  of  the 
nose  and  upper  lip. 

The  attachments  before  mentioned,  ajiplied  to  these  four  points  of  the  face, 
beneath  the  muscles  thus  described,  bring  cuit  that  narrowness  and  suidicn 
expression  about  the  upper  lip  aud  cliceks  to  the  same  breadth  aud  fullness 
which  they  formerly  displayed,  thus  restoring  the  original  pleasing  and  natuial 
expression. 

Here  the  artistic  skill  of  the  dentist  is  brought  into  requisition.  He  should 
study  the  face  of  his  patient  as  the  artist  studies  his  picture,  for  he  displays  his 
genius  not  upon  canvas,  but  upon  the  living  features  of  the  face;  and  of  how 
much  moie  importance  is  the  living  picture,  that  reflects  even  the  emotions  <if 
the  heart,  than  the  lifeless  form  upon  canvas?  He  should  know  the  origin  and 
insertion  of  every  muscle  of  which  the  face  is  formed,  and  what  ones  he  is  to 

117 


JOHN    ALLEN. 

raise,  and  where  to  apply  his  attachments ;  otherwise,  he  may  produce  distor- 
tion instead  of  restoration,  by  allowing  them  to  underlay  other  muscles  than 
those  intended  to  he  brought  out. 

If  these  attachments  are  rightly  fonned  and  properly  adapted,  they  cause  no 
discomfort  in  wearing,  or  impediments  in  eating,  speaking  or  laughing. 

A  clear  and  distinct  articulation  of  speech  is  another  consideration  of  great 
importance,  especially  to  a  public  speaker.  If  an  artificial  denture  be  so  con- 
structed as  to  be  unnatural  in  form,  the  tongue  will  not  play  upon  it  so  as  to 
produce  distinct  enunciation.  Hence,  the  muffled  or  hissing  sounds  which  are 
often  observed  in  speaking,  singing,  and  conversation.  In  the  construction  of  a 
musical  instrument  (with  reeds  or  tongues)  the  most  perfect  adaptation  of  the 
surrounding  parts  is  necessary  in  order  tliat  each  note  should  have  a  round,  full, 
and  clear  tone  ;  the  slightest  defect,  in  this  respect,  throws  the  instrument  out 
of  tune,  and  discordant  notes  are  thus  produced.  So  witli  the  human  voice.  In 
order  that  tlie  words  and  inflections  l>e  clear,  lull,  and  nu-lodious,  a  perfectly 
natural  form  should  be  given  to  artificial  teeth  and  gnms,  that  they  maybe  pro- 
perly adapted  to  the  tongue.  For  example,  there  is  tbe  Kev.  Dr.  D.,  whose  voice, 
once  BO  clear  and  audible,  is  now  tame  and  indistinct ;  his  enunciation  has  be- 
come laborious  to  himself,  and  painful  to  his  hearers.  The  cause  of  this  change 
is  owing  to  the  loss  of  his  natural  teeth,  and  the  substitution  of  artificial 
dentures,  which  are  so  unnatural  in  form  and  adaptation,  that  the  tongue  can- 
not articulate  with  them.  To  prevent  this  defect,  the  form  of  the  lingual  sur- 
face of  tbe  teeth,  giuns,  and  roof  of  the  mouth  should  be  a  perfect  fac-simile  of 
the  original.  Theu  the  tongue  can  articulate  clearly,  and  the  worthy  divine 
can  a"ain  pour  forth  his  accust(uned  strains  of  eloquence  without  restraint. 

We  will  now  examine  a  full  set  of  teeth,  which  combines  all  the  recinirements 
of  artificial  dentures.  The  i>lates  are  well  adapted  to  the  mouth  of  the  wearer  ; 
the  teeth  display  a  pleasant  expression,  and  are  garnished  with  a  continuous 
artificial  gum,  roof,  and  ruga  of  the  mouth,  without  seam  or  crevice,  which  vie 
with  those  of  nature. 

The  inside  fonn  is  well  adapted  to  the  tongue,  the  sunken  face  rejuvenated, 
and  the  patient  is  now  ready  to  exclaim  "  Richard  is  liimself  again  !" 

AU  these  essential  points  can  now  be  attained  by  this  mode  of  constructing 
artificial  dentures.  But  too  much  reliance  should  not  be  placed  upon  the  modr, 
for  however  perfect  this  may  be  in  itself,  artistic  taste,  skill  and  judgment  are 
necessary  to  direct  the  operator  in  his  manipulations.  Two  artists  (so  called), 
may  employ  the  same  method,  use  the  same  paints,  brushes,  canvass,  &c.,  in 
painting  a  picture.  One  will  produce  a  perfect  prototype  of  nature,  which  is 
considered  almost  priceless,  while  the  other  makes  a  mere  daub  that  is  worth- 
less. Thesame  diftercnce  exists  among  men  in  various  other  branches  of  art,  and 
especially  in  dentistry. 

After  perfecting  his  system,  Dr.  Allen  removed  from  Cincin- 
nati to  the  City  of  New  York,  where  he  was  desirous  of  bringing 
it  in  fair  competition  with  all  other  modes  wrought  by  skillful 
dentists,  both  in  this  country  and  Europe.  The  historical  records 
of  this  system,  as  devised  and  perfected  by  the  inventor,  presents 
the  following  exhibit,  viz. :  All  the  awards  that  have  been  made 
by  the  American  Institute  for  artificial  dentistry  within  the  last 
seventeen  years  have  been  granted  to  J.  Allen  &  Son,  in  the  form 

118 


JOHN    ALLEN. 

of  medals,  bearing  dates  1857,  1863,  1867,  1872,  and  1873.  Also 
one  fiom  the  World's  Exposition  at  Paris,  bearing  date  1867,  and 
still  another  from  the  great  exposition  at  Vienna  of  1873,  to  J. 
Allen  &  Son,  of  New  York. 

The  foregoing  historical  sketch  presents  but  one  branch  of  Dr. 
Allen's  professional  career.  As  a  manipulator  in  all  operations 
pertaining  to  Dental  Surgery,  he  has  displayed  consummate 
skill  and  efficiency.  As  an  earnest  worker  in  behalf  of  the  pro- 
gress and  advancement  of  his  profession,  his  efforts  have  been 
long  known  and  appreciated,  while  as  an  educator  and  teacher 
his  labors  have  been  characterized  by  an  ability  that  ensured  suc- 
cess. The  Dental  Register  of  Cincinnati.  Ohio,  speaking  of  his 
removal  from  the  West,  paid  him  the  following  tribute  :  "  We 
learn  that  Dr.  J.  Allen,  who  has  enjoyed  the  confidence  and 
patronage  of  this  community,  as  a  dental  practitioner,  for  more 
than  twenty  years,  is  about  establishing  his  business  in  the  City 
of  New  York,  with  a  view  of  directing  his  exchisive  attention  to 
his  improved  style  of  work.  This  change  in  his  business  o])erations 
has  rendered  it  necessary  for  him  to  resign  his  Professorship  in  the 
Ohio  College  of  Dental  Surgery,  a  chair  which  he  has  filled  with 
ability  and  general  satis/action  ;  and  loe  regret  the  necessity 
lohich  impels  him  to  leave  the  school.  Our  wish  is,  that  he  may 
meet  with  many  friends  and  great  success  in  New  York,  where 
most  of  his  time  will  be  likely  spent.  We  can  commend  him  to 
our  brethren  in  New  York,  as  a  gentleman  devoted  to  the  profes- 
sion, courteous,  affable,  and  obliging." 

Dr.  Allen  is  esteemed  a  worthy  and  useful  citizen,  a  lover  and 
supporter  of  law  and  order,  and  an  active  promoter  of  good 
works.  As  a  member  of  the  church  he  is  consistent  and  exem- 
plary. In  his  profession  he  has  ever  maintained  a  high  and  hon- 
orable position,  preferring  to  secure  commendation  by  industry, 
faithfulness,  honesty  and  kindness,  as  evinced,  not  only  in  his 
social  relations,  but  also  in  the  many  essays,  lectures  and  scientific 
contributions  from  him,  which  we  find  published  through  various 
dental,  medical  and  other  journals,  embracing  a  ijeriod  of  more 
than  thirty  years.  These,  together  with  his  code  of  dental  ethics, 
(the  first  in  the  dental  profession,)  furnish  the  outlines  of  his  pro- 
fessional career. 

119 


4 


ey^o^  c>.^^^^c^c^^ 


^^^^/^^-^ 


f>'-^Z-^?r^_<^(^ 


-?7^ 


JOHN   W.   COSAD. 

BY    REV.    R.    B.    YARD. 


l('-^>^|r^  0  SNATCH  victory  from  defeat  and  to  compel  tribute 
r-, 'i  from  the  most  adverse  circumstances  of  human  life,  is 
HJi)  to  evince  a  nature  above  the  ordinary-  level,  to  attest 
the  highest  qualities  of  true  heroism,  and  well  deserves 
public  recognition,  as  well  as  a  golden  reward.  To  chronicle 
the  inspired  purpose,  the  conscious  power,  and  the  patient 
and  persistent  toil,  by  which  an  individual  has  struggled  upward 
from  poverty  and  obscurity  to  competence  and  honor,  is  a  pleas- 
ant task,  as  well  as  a  duty  to  humanity.  In  a  world  where  so 
many  ingloriously  yield  to  the  clamorings  of  ease  and  sense,  and 
become  the  slaves  of  self  and  sin  only  to  be  requited  with  chains 
and  misery,  it  is  refreshing  to  record  the  victory  of  one,  who, 
gathering  strength  from  the  invisible,  and  purification  in  faith, 
presents  to  society  a  redeemed  manhood,  and  consecrates  at  the 
feet  of  the  Crucified,  a  success  which  is,  at  once,  the  admiration 
and  the  example  of  the  beholder. 

The  illustration  of  these  remarks  is  found  in  the  subject  of  the 
present  sketch.  Doctor  John  W.  Cosad,  who  is  well  worth  the 
careful  study  of  young  men,  and  to  such  especially  we  dedicate 
this  inadequate  tribute.  If  it  may  encourage  the  weary  heart, 
stimulate  the  halting  step,  and  illumine  the  twilight  way  of  any 
soul,  the  object  of  this  portraiture  will  have  been  richly  gained, 
and  its  jjreparation  amply  recompensed. 

John  Woodward  Cosad  was  born  in  Seeleyville,  Wayne  County, 
Pennsylvania,  in  the  year  1827.  His  father,  Samuel  Cosad,  who 
was  of  French  descent,  as  his  name  would  infer,  enjoyed  a  good 
education,  possessed  much  natural  talent,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  His  mother  came  of  German  parentage, 
whose  ancestors  were  illustrious  descendants  of  royalty.  Thus 
.in  him  are  blended  the  qualities  of  French,  German  and  American 


121 


JOHN    W.     COS  AD. 

chai-actur— the  German  purpose  and  thoroughness,  tlie  French 
skill,  delicacy  of  manipulation,  and  polite  consideration,  and  the 
thoroughly  American  push  and  husiness  energy,  which  have 
characterized  him  in  every  i  elation  in  life,  whether  of  office, 
church,  or  council. 

His   parents    removed    to    New    Jersey    when  he  was  three 
years  old  and  remained  about  three  years,  when  they  removed  to 
Honesdale,  Pa.    For  two  years  only,  after  this,  was  he  permitted  to 
enjoy  the  comforts  of  his  childhood'.s  home.     Necessity  compelled 
his  being  placed,  at  eight  years  of  age,  at  service  on  a  farm,  and 
in  the  severe  labors  incident  to  such  a  life,  and  under  different 
employers,  he  continued  to  toil,  often  in  bodily  weakness,  and  with 
slender  opportunities  for  education,  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age. 
The  pursuits  of  agriculture  have  often  proven  the  cradle  of 
sturdy  and  lofty  purpose,  even  as  hardships  ever  become  the  nurse 
of  manly   energy.     Noble    names   grace   the    annals    of  bucolic 
toil.    Virgil,  Washington,  Webster  and  Lincoln,  immortal  names, 
gathered  ^inspiration    from    tree    and    turf,    from    furrow    and 
field,    and   from   seed-time    and    harvest.      However  dark    and 
discouraging  to  the  youthful  Cosad  this  period  must  have  been, 
or  marke^l  by  harsh  treatment  and  absence  of  sympathy  on  the  part 
of  employers,  or  however  lacking  in  home  sunshine,  or  a  mother's 
care,  it  is  clear  that  it  was  a  period  of  preparation,  in  God's  prov- 
idence, for  a  wider  sphere  of  usefulness  and  success.      The  olive 
tree  of  Palestine  will  gather  strength  and  fruitfulness  trom   the 
rocky  crevices  of  Lebanon,  while  the  fig  tree  requires  the  utmost 
care,  and  the  best  conditions,  in  order  to  yield  its  less  valuable 
products.     So,  in  our  race,  there  are  natures  which  grow  sturdier 
and  more  productive  amidst  the  severe  necessities  to  whicii  they 
are  subjected,  and  become  better  fitted  for  a  career  which* neither 
prosperity  can  spoil  nor  adversity  discourage. 

Outgrowing  the  slower  life  of  a  farmer's  boy,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  i^s  soon  found  a  man  among  men,  and  acting  as  confidential 
Lgent  of  a  large  and  important  corporation,  where  his  efficiency 
and  devotion  received  distinguished  recognition,  and  where  it  was 
his  study  and  toil,  most  conscientiously  to  fulfill  the  spirit  of  his 
office,  as  well  as  the  mere  routine  duty  assigned  him.  He  made 
his  work  part  of  himself,  doing  well  whatever  he  undertook  to  do 
at  all   and  illustrated  the  wisdom  of  Chesterfield's  advice  to  his 


JOHN    W.     COSAD. 

son,  concerning  the  secret  of  success,  when  he  said  "  Make  your- 
self wanted."  It  was  during  this  period,  that,  still  aspiring  to 
higher  conquests,  and  with  a  soul  expanding  beyond  the  limits  of 
dependent  toil,  the  subject  of  dentistry  filled  his  mind.  Employ- 
ing hours  when  not  engaged  in  the  duties  of  his  vocation,  he  com- 
menced the  study  of  this  beautiful  and  beneficient  art,  giving  to 
it  a  thorough  investigation,  and  obtaining  an  intelligent  mastery  of 
its  mechanics,  as  well  as  its  physiology  and  pathology. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1857  that  he  ventured,  a  beginner,  un- 
known as  an  operator,  lacking  the  prestige  of  name,  education  or 
success,  to  nail  up  his  modest  sign  at  139  Grove  street,  Jersey 
City,  and  to  ask  for  the  patronage  of  an  unbelieving  public.  A 
period  of  bitter  trial  and  disappointment  followed,  embracing 
several  years  of  discouragement  and  of  destitution,  but  not  of  des- 
|)air.  Resorting  to  no  arts  of  trade  or  tricks  of  sensationalism,  he 
asked  an  honest  trial  of  his  skill.  Conscious  of  his  own  ability, 
inspired  by  a  noble  ])ride  in  his  chosen  profession,  and  sustained 
by  a  brave  faith  in  God  and  himself,  he  waited  in  patience  the 
hour  of  victory,  turning  a  deaf  ear  to  the  croakings  of  doubters 
and  the  mistaken  counsel  which  advised  a  retreat. 

Instead  of  yielding  to  despair  he  conquered  doubt  and  drew 
from  disappointment  only  higher  incentives  to  exertion.  His  pro- 
fession became  the  ardent  study  of  his  best  hours.  Nothing  in 
this  delicate  and  humanitarian  art  escaped  his  earnest  and  patient 
examination.  He  knelt  to  art,  a  vassal,  and  she  raised  and  crowned 
him  a  chief  At  length  came  the  dawn  of  a  brighter  day.  The 
night  had  been  a  long  and  a  dark  one,  but  does  not  more  certainly 
succeed  the  night,  than  does  success  follow  real  worth  and  sin- 
cere devotion  to  duty.  His  work  began  to  speak  for  him.  Bet- 
ter than  staring  advertisements  and  tinselled  announcements,  was 
his  wise  yet  tender  ti-eatment,  his  firm  yet  gentle  hand  and  the 
profound  satisfaction  of  happy  patients.  The  tide  of  public 
favor  turned  towards  flood.  Business  increased  until  two  assistants 
because  a  necessity  and  his  position  in  public  favor  was  assured 
and  commanding. 

An  unforeseen  and  dangerous  foe,  in  the  form  of  a  life-long 
physical  weakness,  threatened  to  disturb  this  interesting  history. 
With  a  delicate  constitution,  and  frequent  seasons  of  prostration, 
he,  however,  continued  witii    remarkable   success  to  maintain  a 


JOHN     W.    COS  AD, 


proud  eminence  in  his  profession.  True  to  the  law  of  develop- 
ment which  had  led  him  thus  far,  his  nature  could  allow  no  rest- 
ing place.  New  conquests  were  yet  in  the  yielding  future.  ''  Ex- 
celsior" became  the  banner  text  of  his  life.  Whether  in  his  rela- 
tions to  his  profession,  his  religion,  or  his  race,  Dr.  Cosad's  was 
not  a  soul  to  ask  any  one  to  go  where  he  was  not  willing  to  lead. 
As  a  dentist  he  magnified  his  profession,  honored  and  believed  in 
it,  mastered  it,  developed  it,  and  taught  it.  It  could  surprise 
no  one,  therefore,  who  knew  him,  that  he  was  in  July,  1873,  made 
President  of  the  New  Jersey  State  Dental  Association,  and  about 
the  same  time,  also,  President  of  the  Hudson  County  Dental  So- 
ciety. It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  Dr.  Cosad  is  an  artist 
in  his  profession.  His  work  challenges  the  admiration  of  the  be- 
holder, while  it  gladdens  the  consciousness  of  the  patient. 

As' a  Christian  and  a  member  of  the  Hedding  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  for  the  last  eighteen  years,  he  gave  to  the  questions 
of  religion,  earnest  thought,  and  to  its  work  his  warmest  devotion. 
In   the   duties  of  trustee,    class-leader,    steward,   Sunday-school 
teacher  and  superintendent,  visitor  in  the  homes  of  suffering  and 
need    Chairman    of  the    Devotional   Committee   of   the    Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  member  of  the  Executive  Committee 
of  the  N.  J.  State  Sunday  School  Association,  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  Hudson  County  Bible   Society,  and- 
of  the  Jersey  City  Mission  and   Tract  Society,  he  accepted  no 
merely  nominal  place.     With  him  it  was  not  the  honor  but  the 
service  which  he  assumed.     Life  has  seemed    to  him  too  real,  the 
need  of  humanity  too  urgent,  the  Gospel  too  grand  a  provision,  to 
allow  of  questions  of  ease  or  honor.     Many  souls  in  the  jail,  the 
hospital,  on  the  docks,  or  in   the  more  favorable  conditions   of 
home,  Sunday  school  or  church,  will  bless  him  in  eternity  that  he 
could' find  time  amidst  the  exactions   of  a  large  business  to  sow 
the  seeds  of  truth  in  their  hearts,   and   to  bring  the  sunshine  of 
love,  of  prayer,  and  of  sympathy  into  their  gloom. 

With  a  ready  and  forceful  utterance,  profound  sympathy 
with  human  needs,  and  warm  appieciation  of  goodness,  Dr. 
Cosad  is  a  speaker  whom  Christian  audiences  love  to  hear.  He  is 
at  home  on  religious  and  humanitarian  themes,  and  chooses  the 
field  of  moral  and  evangelical  teaching  rather  than  the  social  ami. 
political. 


134 


JOHN     W.     COSAD. 

Appreciating  the  symbolism  and  the  high  aims  of  Free 
Masonry,  and  more  especially  the  suggestive  and  eloquent  degrees 
of  the  Ancient  and  Accepted  rite,  he  sought  their  inspiration  and 
support,  while  at  the  same  time,  he  lent  to  them  his  calm  counsel 
and  pure  character.  There  can  be  little  doubt  tiiat  these  Masonic 
scenes  and  interviews  helped  to  relax  tlie  strain  u[ii)n  mind  and 
body,  diverted  the  too  intense  purpose,  and  nerved  a  system  which 
otherwise  might  have  broken  in  life's  unequal  struggle.  Yet,  in 
Masonry,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  it  was  impossible  for  Dr.  Cosad  to 
be  an  idle  spectator.  Where  there  was  useful  work  to  do,  it 
was  his  to  bear  his  share,  and  ere  long  it  was  the  pleasure  of  the 
Order  to  call  him  to  posts  of  duty,  where,  without  care  or  anxiety, 
he  might  illustrate  the  grandest  lessons  of  Truth.  Duty,  Fidelity, 
Purity  and  Hope,  to  the  reclamation  of  men  from  the  bondage  of 
habit  and  passion,  and  at  the  same  time  to  his  own  acquisition  of 
stores  of  entertainment  and  delight.  Through  the  various  De- 
grees of  Symbolic  Masonry  he  has  passed,  until,  ^standing  on  the 
highest  I'ound,  among  the  few  who  have  passed  to  the  33d  Degree, 
he  occupies  honored  positions  in  the  New  Jersey  State  Consistory. 

125 


o 


S"    "'■^Ss*. 


AAl 


A.   C.   COGSWELL, 


jR.  ALFRED  C.  COGSWELL  was  born  in  Coniwallis, 
Queens  County,  Nova  Scotia,  on  the  17th  July,  1S34. 
His  father,  Winkworth  Allan  Cogswell,  nephew  of  the 
Honorable  Hezekiah  Cogswell  of  Halifax,  njoved  from 
Cornwallis  to  Port  Medway,  near  Liverpool,  when  Alfred 
was  still  in  his  infancy.  There  he  remained,  attending 
school,  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  his  earnest  wish  to 
acquire  a  collegiate  education  was  gratified  by  his  father,  who 
sent  him  to  Acadia  College,  Wolfville,  a  flourishing  university 
located  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  lovely  valley  of  the  Gaspereau, 
immortalized  by  Longfellow  in  his  poem  Evangeline.  In  that 
institution  young  Cogswell  pursued  his  studies  diligently  under 
able  masters,  and  gave  good  promise  of  success,  when  his  health 
broke  down  after  a  residence  of  two  years,  1849  to  1850.  Pie  had 
never  been  very  strong,  and  close  application  to  his  books  brought 
on  painful  headaches,  which  recurred  so  frequently  that  it  was 
deemed  advisable  to  remove  him  from  college  and  give  him  a 
chance  of  recruiting  his  health. 

His  father  had,  in  the  meantime,  been  highly  successful  as  a 
merchant  and  ship  owner,  and  deeming  that  the  States  would 
present  greater  advantages  for  the  education  of  his  family,  and 
that  the  change  would  benefit  his  son,  he  removed  to  Portland, 
Me.,  where  he  purchased  a  large  farm  near  the  city.  Young- 
Alfred  was  now  ordered  to  enjoy  out-door  life  to  the  full,  and  in- 
dulge in  such  moderate  exercise  as  would  restore  his  impaired 
strength.  But  the  youth,  after  three  years  of  this  treatment,  dur- 
ing which  he  quite  regained  his  health,  longed  to  enter  on  some 
profession.  He  had  no  taste  for  farming,  cared  little  about  the 
rotation  of  crops  and  the  changes  of  the  seasons;  his  heart  was 
away  from  his  employment,  and  all  his  parents' efforts  to  reconcile 

127 


ALFRED    C.    COGSWELL. 

him  to  an  agricultural  life  failed.  Very  much  against  their  own 
wishes  they  yielded  to  his  pressing  entreaties  to  resume  his  studies, 
their  efforts  to  give  him  a  part  of  the  farm  and  build  a  house  on 
it  for  him  proving  as  futile  as  their  previous  attempts.  He  felt 
himself  irresistibly  drawn  to  dentistry,  and  at  last  he  was  allowed 
to  have  his  own  way. 

Nor  was  the  opposition  offered  by  his  family  unjustifiable.  The 
state  of  dentistry  at  that  time  was  far  different  from  its  present 
flourishing  condition;  there  were  few,  if  any,  Dental  Colleges;  the 
art  was  not  much  practiced;  old  fashions  were  still  adhered  to 
and  but  a  small  number  of  men  iiad  lisen  to  eminence  in  this 
branch  of  chirurgy.  Almost  any  other  profession  seemed  to  offer 
a  better  standing  and  a  surer  prospect  of  becoming  lucrative. 
Nevertheless  young  Cogswell's  determination  made  him  resolve  to 
embrace  dentistry  and  achieve  fame  through  it. 

It  was  some  time  before  arrangements  could  be  made  with 
either  of  the  leading  dentists  of  Portland,  there  being  only  two 
who   had   high  standing  and  reputation,  or,   at  least,  the   best 
practice,  namely.  Dr.  Edwin  Parsons  and  Drs.   Coffin  and  Bacon. 
Alfred  Cogswell  finally  entered  the  office  of  the  former  and  served 
faithfully  his  two  years,  paying  his  preceptor  a  premium  of  $400 
and  receiving  in  return  instruction  in  the  different  branches  of  his 
profession.     But  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  he  enjoyed  all  the 
advantao'es  now  offered  to  students  of  the  dental  art.  for  this   had 
not  yet  reached  the  perfection  attained  of  late  years,  and  many  im- 
provements in  the  way  of  instriiments,  chairs,  etc.,  were  then  un- 
known.    Dr.  Parsons  was  a  dentist  of  the  old  school  and  preferred 
to  have  his  patient  seated,  during  operations,  in  an  ordinary  rock- 
ino-  chair,  and  fortunate  was  it  for  him  that  he  possessed  the  strong- 
built  frame  and  robust  constitution  of  the  Englishman,  or  he  could 
not  have  practiced  for  so  many  years  in  the  stooping  position  requir- 
ed by  the  lowness  of  the  chair  he  used.     As  regards  the  materials 
used  by  dentists,  we  must  note  that  gold,  silver  and  platina  plates 
were  used  entirely  for  dentures,  while  for  full  sets  the  finest  kind 
of  work  consisted  of  block  teeth  carved  and  baked  in  the  office, 
mounted  on  gold  plates  and  neatly  finished.      Vulcanite   rubber 
had  not  yet  been  introduced,  and   the  labor  required  to  produce 
artificial  sets  of  teeth  was  considerably   more  severe  than  in  the 
present  day,  when  the  various  materials  are  furnished  ready  to 

123 


ALFRED     C .     COGS  W  ELL. 

liand.  A  student  charged  with  the  manixfacture  of  a  full  set  of 
teeth,  from  the  taking  of  the  impressions  to  the  final  completion 
of  the  structure,  with  all  the  intermediate  processes  of  swaging 
plates,  making  joints,  hacking  up,  banding,  lining  the  teeth,  sold- 
ering and  neatly  finishing  the  plates  without  springing,  required 
to  know  very  much  more  and  had  to  work  at  a  greater  disadvan- 
tage than  the  operator  of  to-day  entrusted  with  the  manufacture 
of  a  set  on  vulcanite  rubber.  It  took  days,  as  a  rule,  under  the 
old  systeui,  to  do  what  now  may  occupy  but  a  few  hours,  and  the 
trouble  did  not  begin  merely  at  the  flitting  of  the  block  teeth  on 
the  plate;  the  tooth  body  required  to  be  ground  for  hours  and 
days  before  being  fit  to  mould  and  carve  into  shape  prejiaratory  to 
biscuiting  and  baking.  These  were  some  of  the  difficult  lessons 
which  the  young  pupil  had  to  master  during  his  stay  with  Dr. 
Parsons,  and  it  speaks  well  for  his  assiduity  and  perseverance  that 
he  rapidly  excelled  in  these  multifarious  and  complicated  pro- 
cesses, all  of  which  demanded  great  skill  and  the  closest  attention. 

On  leaving  his  first  employer,  Alfred  Cogswell  associated  him- 
self with  Dr.  Boynton,  and  practiced  his  art  in  Portland,  for  a 
twelvemonth.  But  he  was  not  yet  satisfied  with  his  stock  of 
knowledge ;  it  seemed  to  him  that  very  much  more  might  be 
learned,  that  perfection  was  not  yet  attained,  and  the  same 
resolution  which  had  carried  him  through  the  hardships  of  initiation 
suggested  to  him  to  study  with  Drs.  Goodman  and  Salmon,  of  Bos- 
ton. He  engaged  himself  for  a  year,  for  the  purpose  of  making  him- 
self a  greater  pi-oficient  in  the  manufacture  of  teeth,  and  so  thorough 
was  his  work,  so  constant  his  application,  that,  ere  three  months 
had  elapsed,  his  delighted  employers  voluntarily  increased  his  salary. 

At  the  expiration  of  nine  months,  an  opportunity  offered  to 
purchase  the  office-right  and  practice  of  L.  P.  Hanson,  of  South 
Reading,  Mass.,  who  was  about  to  remove  to  Milwaukee.  Alfred 
Oogswell  had,  by  dint  of  economy,  saved  up  a  sum  sufficient  to 
enable  him  to  pay  the  stipulated  price,  and  thus  he  was  enabled 
to  set  up  in  business  on  his-  own  account,  but,  finding  that  the 
work  would  only  occupy  a  part  of  his  time,  the  town  being  but 
small  and  the  practice  not  very  extensive,  he  continued 
to  construct  artificial  dentures  for  Drs.  Goodman  and  Salmon, 
— who  were  very  unwilling  to  lose  his  services, — devoting 
the  forenoon  to  this  occupation  and  attending  to  his  own   office 

129 


ALFRED     C.     CO.G  SWELL. 

in  the  afternoon.  It  was  at  this  time  that  he  succeeded  in  con- 
structino-  an  upper  set  of  block  teeth  in  probably  the  sliortest  pos- 
sible time.  Arriving  at  his  office  at  nine  in  the  morning,  he 
ground  the  blocks  on  to  the  gold  plate,  jointed,  banded,  lined,  sol- 
dered and  finished  up  the  set  complete  and  in  perfect  order  in 
such  good  season  that  he  was  able  to  take  the  2  p.  m.  train  to 
Reading,  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  where  he  wound  up  his  laborious 
day's  work  by  attending  to  the  patients  who  were  waiting  for  him. 
Such  rapidity,  combined  with  high  excellence  of  workmanship, 
has  never  been  equalled  and  certainly  is  yet  unsurpassed,  and  it 
will  easily  be  understood  that  testimonials  and  certificates  from 
men  of  reputation,  among  others  Dr.  Hanson,  Dr.  Haskell  and 
many  more,  pronouncing  him  to  be  a.  first-class  artist,  were  being 
continually  received  by  him.  Every  piece  of  work  he  undertook 
was  invariably  marked  with  the  same  neatness  ami  dispatch,  and 
he  met  with  his  reward  for  indefatigable  industry,  his  practice  in 
South  Reading  increasing  rapidly  and  bringing  him  an  income  of 
several  thousand  dollars  a  year. 

He  remained  in  South  Reading,  now  Wakefield,  until  18.58, 
when  he  deemed  it  advisable  to  return  to  his  native  couniry  ;  mar- 
ried an  American  lady  and  repaired  to  Halifax,  the  capital  of 
Nova  Scotia.  There  he  entered  into  partnership  with  L.  E.  Van 
Buskirk,  M.  D.,  a  dentist  of  long  standing,  alone  patronized  by  the 
elite  of  the  city  and  province,  and  who  was  glad  to  welcome  an 
energetic  and  thoroughly  well-informed  colleague.  Two  years 
afterwards.  Dr.  Van  Buskirk  retired,  owing  to  ill  health  and  ad- 
vanced age,  dying  in  1862  of  heart  disease. 

The  younger  partner  now  found  himself  alone,  able  to  carry 
out  his  own  views,  it  is  true,  without  meeting  with  any  difference 
of  opinion  in  his  office,  but  confronted  by  much  more  serious 
difficulties,  which  might  well  have  dismayed  him  as  they  had  dis- 
mayed many  another. 

Dentistry  was  at  a  very  low  ebb;  practice  was  both  small  and 
unrenumerative,  it  being  next  to  impossible  to  keep  up  a  first- 
class  establishment,  owing  to  the  singular  apathy  of  the  people. 
who  were  absolutely  ignorant  of  the  first  principles  of  the  preser- 
vation of  the  teeth.  Time  and  again  had  trained  dentists  taken 
up  their  abode  in  Halifax,  or  other  parts  of  Nova  Scotia,  and, 
after  a  more  or  less  prolonged  struggle,  found  themselves  obliged 

130 


ALFEED    C.    COGSWELL. 

to  give  up  and  return  to  the  States,  where  they  had  a  chance  of 
being  supported  in  their  efforts.  Apparently,  energy  was  useless 
and  failed  to  conquer  the  vis  inertia  of  carelessness  and  incredulity. 
With  a  population  in  the  city  of  at  least  25,000  souls,  and  in  the 
whole  Province  of  not  less  than  300,000,  six  dentists  could  scarcely 
manage  to  make  a  living,  several  of  them,  indeed,  barely  paying 
expenses.  In  the  city  itself  there  were  at  this  time,  (1860)  three 
practitioners,  who,  finding  the  work  hard  and  unprofitable, 
abandoned  the  field.  Nor  must  it  be  supposed  that  the  reason  of 
these  repeated  failures  lay  in  the  poverty  of  the  people;  on  the 
contrary,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  wealth  in  the  country,  but  the 
inhabitants  wei-e  not  educated  up  to  the  mark  and  could  not  per- 
ceive the  mateiial  advantages  to  be  derived  by  them  from  hearty 
support  of  a  really  able  and  conscientious  dentist.  They  did  not 
know,  and  when  told,  refused  to  believe  that  their  own  teeth  and 
those  of  their  children  required  just  as  much  attention  as  the 
other  parts  of  their  bodies;  that  the  aches  which  afiiicted  them 
could  be  relieved  without  the  loss  of  the  organs,  that,  in  a  word, 
there  was  an  art  of  dentistry  just  as  much  as  of  surgery  or  medicine. 
This  was  quite  beyond  the  comprehension  of  the  masses,  who  knew 
but  one  remedy  for  toothache,  and  that  was  extraction.  The  "fill- 
ing "  of  teeth  was  disbelieved  in  as  worse  than  useless  and  entail- 
ing only  prolonged  pain  without  giving  final  relief,  and  this  be- 
cause some  poor  wretch  having  rej^aired  to  some  inferior  practi- 
tioner, and  finding  the  stuffed  tooth  (as  it  was  termed)  ulcerate  or 
break  after  a  short  time,  spread  abroad  the  report  that  stuffing 
was  a  deception  and  a  snare,  and  the  opinion  was  adopted,  with- 
out discussion,  by  nearly  every  one  who  heard  it.  Thus  people 
were  led  to  insist  on  extraction,  and  hundreds  of  teeth  that  could 
and  should  have  been  saved,  were  sacrificed  to  the  prejudices  of 
the  ignorant  and  the  assiduous  deceptions  of  quacks  and  such  like 
people.  *  *  ■••'■■  ■■•'  '•■■■  *  * 

It  is  not  difficult  to  understand,  therefore,  that  at  the  very  out- 
set an  intelligent  and  highly  trained  dentist,  accustomed  to  work 
in  the  States,  where  abuses  of  the  kind  referred  to  above  are  the 
exception  and  not  the  rule,  would  meet  with  many  obstacles 
apparently  insuperable,  and  would  require  extraordinary  pluck 
and  perseverance  to  cope  with  his  task.  It  might  be  thought  that 
if  no  encouragement    was  received  from  the  lower  and   middle 

131 


ALFRED     C.     COGSWELL. 

classes,  it  could  be  looked  for  from  the  upper,  but  that  this  was- 
not  the  case,  a  very  few  words  will  suffice  to  show.  Artificial  sets, 
worn  only  by  the  wealthy,  were  seldom  required  of  the  local 
dentists,  the  majority  of  patients  in  want  of  them  preferring  to 
travel  over  to  England  for  the  purpose.  They  certainly  obtained 
excellent  work,  Dr.  Cogswell  himself  testifying  to  the  beauty  and 
solidity  of  workmanship  of  such  sets,  but  they  paid  very  large 
prices  for  them  and  had  to  bear  heavy  travelling  expenses  besides. 
The  sets  were  composed  of  human  ieeth  attached  to  ivory  by 
means  of  gold  screws,  and  kept  in  their  place  by  spiral  springs. 
The  price  of  a  partial  denture  of  six  teeth  was  eleven  guineas,  or 
$55,  and  to  this  must  be  added  passage  money  to  England  and 
b.ick,  which,  with  incidental  expenses,  was  not  less  than  .$300. 
Several  cases  of  this  style  of  work  are  kept  by  Dr.  Cogswell  as 
curiosities. 

Such  was  the  state  of  dentistry  in  Nova  Scotia  at  the  time  of 
Dr.  Van  Buskirk's  death,  and  such  the  difficulties  which  Dr. 
Cogswell  had  to  encounter  at  the  outset  of  his  professional  career 
there.  For  one  moment  he  hesitated  whether  it  would  not  be 
better  to  follow  the  example  of  liis  predecessors  and  quit  the  field, 
but  the  hesitation  was  only  momentary;  he  saw  there  was  work 
to  be  done,  work  that  demanded  an  unusual  degree  of  tenacity 
and  vigor,  true  pioneer's  work,  and  he  sternly  resolved  that,  hav- 
ing once  put  his  hand  to  the  plow,  he  would  not  look  back. 
Accordingly  he  struggled  on  bravely,  breasting  the  waves  of  ignor- 
ance and  narrow-minded  prejudice,  fighting  the  hydra-headed 
opposition,  constantly  renewed  by  those  inferior  practitioners  whose 
bungling  work  contrasted  so  strongly  with  his  own  artistic  per- 
formances, and  steadily  carving  out  his  way  to  the  brilliant  jjosi- 
tion  he  has  now  achieved  as  the  leading  dentist  in  the  lower  Pro- 
vinces and  the  Nova  Scotian  representative  of  his  profession. 

In  1867,  he  entered  into  a  co-partnership  with  0.  P.  Mac- 
Callarth  and  Th.  Macky,  the  object  being  to  extend  the  business  and 
open  first-class  offices  in  dift'erent  parts  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  also 
in  the  Province  of  Newfoundland.  The  association  lasted  several 
years,  meeting  with  such  scant  success  that  the  two  partners,  un- 
able to  face  difficulties  with  the  same  firmness  as  Dr.  Cogswell, 
retired  and  imigrated  to  the  States,  thoroughly  digusted,  like  too 
many  before  them,  with   the   Provinces   and   their   inhabitants. 

132 


o» 


ALFRED     C.     COGSWELL. 

Once  more  alone,  Dr.  Cogswell  purchased  a  desirable  dwellin 
fitted  up  spacious  and  expensive  apartments,  introducing  new- 
chairs,  hot  and  cold  water,  and,  in  brief,  all  modern  imi)rovements, 
and  continued  to  work  unremittingly  at  his  self-imposed  task  of 
elevating  his  position  and  educating  the  people  around  him  to  a 
just  appreciation  of  dental  chirurgy. 

Eight  well  did  he  now  deserve  the  title  of  Pioneer  Dentist,  for 
alone  of  the  eleven  dentists  who,  during  the  previous  fifteen  years, 
had  come  and  gone,  he  remained  true  to  his  post,  unflinchingly 
striving  to  effect  the  desirable  reformation  he  aimed  at,  and  gain- 
ing more  and  more  every  day  the  sympathies  of  the  enlightened 
public,  and  compelling  the  admiration  of  friends  and  foes  alike 
Isolated  from  the  other  eminent  members  of  his  profession,  de- 
prived of  the  many  advantages  enjoyed  by  his  brethren  in  Canada 
and  the  United  States,  he  kept  himself  well  informed  in  his  art  by 
attentive  perusal  of  dental  journals  and  periodicals,  never  suffering 
an  improvement  to  pass  by  unheeded,  a  suggestion  unacted  upon. 

With  a  view  of  posting  himself  still  more  fully,  and  guaran- 
teeing to  his  numerous  patients  the  very  bf'st  advice  procurable, 
Dr.  Cogswell,  at  considerable  inconvenience  to  himself,  left  his 
practice  during  the  winter  of  1868-69,  and  attended  the  courses 
at  the  Philadelphia  Dental  College,  passing,  at  the  end  of  that 
time,  a  highly  creditable  examination  before  the  Professors.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  he  gave  proof  of  his  ingenuity  by  inventing  a  con- 
venient portable  stand  for  students  taking  notes,  which  could  be 
adjusted  to  an  ordinary  cane,  and  at  once  became  in  great  rei|uest. 
He  presented  a  model  stand  to  the  college. 

From  186 —  Dr.  Cogswell's  practice  began  to  increase  steadily, 
and  his  high  reputation  gained  for  him  the  patronage  of  the  Mar- 
(|uis  and  Marchioness  of  Normanby  ;  Lieutenant-General  Sir 
Charles  Hastings  Doyle,  Lieutenant-General  of  Nova  Scotia  and 
Commander-in-Chief  of  Her  Majesty's  forces  in  British  North 
America;  all  the  Admirals  in  command  on  the  North  Americaa 
and  West  Indian  Station — Admiral  Sir  P.  Hope,  Sir  Rodney 
Mundy,  Faushawe  and  Wellesley — and  he  has  had  the  honor  of 
being  in  professional  attendance  on  His  Royal  Highness  the  Prince 
of  Wales  during  his  visit  to  Halifax.  The  general  public  began  to 
estimate  his  worth,  and  the  repeated  confirmations  of  his  ability 
as  an  artist  of  the  first-class,  freely  afforded  by  leading  dentists 

133 


ALFRED    C.    COGSWELL. 

both  in  England  and  the  States,  deepened  the  confidence  reposed 
in  him  hy  his  numerous  patients,  and  gave  him  a  place  of  honor 
among  American  dentists  in  New  England. 

He  is  a  corresponding  member  of  the  Philadelphia  Odonto- 
graphic  Society;  a  member  of  the  Alumni  of  the  Philadelphia 
Dental  College,  and  correspondent  of  the  Dental  Cosmos  and  of 
the  Canadian  Journal  of  Dental  Science.  He  has  written  several 
valuable  and  interesting  brochures,  intended  for  circulation  in 
families,  in  which  he  has  treated  in  a  popular  and  lucid  manner 
the  importance  of  careful  attention  to  the  dental  organs.  He  has 
also  contributed  a  paper  on  "Comparative  Anatomy  and  Pathology 
of  the  Human  Teeth,"  which  was  read  before  the  Haliftix  Scien- 
tific Association,  and  published  in  the  transactions  of  that  body 
for  1872.  He  still  publishes  in  the  newspapers  occasional  articles 
on  the  teeth,  and  their  care  and  treatment,  all  for  the  purpose  of 
educating  the  people  of  the  Province  to  the  requisite  standard. 

In  1870-71,  he  endeavored  to  pass  through  the  Legislature  a 
bill  entitled  "  A  Bill  to  regulate  the  practice  of  Dentistry,"  which 
made  it  incumbent  on  all  who  practiced  to  obtain  a  license  and 
pass  an  examination  before  a  Board  appointed  expressly  for  that 
purpose.  Failing  to  accomplish  this  laudable  object  the  first 
time,  he  renewed  his  attempt,  assisted,  it  may  be  remarked,  by 
only  one  other  dentist.  The  bill  passed  through  the  House  of 
Assembly  but  was  thrown  out  by  the  Legislative  Council;  this 
unfortunate  result  being  due  to  the  factious  and  interested  oppo- 
sition of  one  member  of  the  Committee. 

Yet  Dr.  Cogswell  does  not  despair  of  ultimate  success,  and  con- 
fidently hopes  to  see  the  bill  become  law  during  the  next  session 
of  the  Legislature.  He  is  borne  out  in  this  by  the  recollection  of 
so  many  hard-fought  battles  crowned  with  victory,  and  by  the  fact 
that  his  publication  of  the  bill  in  the  newspapers  of  the  Province 
has  directed  public  attention  to  the  subject  and  demonstrated  the 
necessity  of  legislation  in  the  matter,  for  the  country  is  already 
beino-  overrun  by  men  who  have  of  dentists  nothing  but  the  name, 
beino-  ignorant  even  of  the  principles  of  dentistry. 

Dr.  Cogswell  has  trained  up  four  students,  two  of  whom  have 
graduated  at  the  Philadelphia  Dental  College,  he  making  it  in- 
cumbent on  all  his  pupils  to  take  their  degree  as  speedily  as  possi- 
ble, with  the  hope  that,  in  a  few  years.  Nova  Scotia  may  have  a 

134 


ALFRED    C.    COGSWELL. 

Dental  Bill  and  a  well-organized  Society  of  its  own,  so  that  it 
may  send  its  delegates  to  the  Conventions  held  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  and  thus  take  its  stand  with  her  sister  Pro- 
vinces and  her  American  cousins. 

■  His  unremitting  exertions  and  heavy  labors  told  at  last  on  his 
constitution,  and,  his  health  becoming  impaired,  he  was  advised 
to  suspend,  for  a  time,  his  close  application  to  work,  and  seek,  in  a 
warmer  climate,  the  strength  he  had  lost.  Accordingly  he  left 
Halifax  in  the  fall  of  1872,  visited  California,  where  he  remained 
some  time,  travelled  South,  through  part  of  Mexico,  crossed  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  returned  home  via  New  York,  fully  re- 
cruited and  ready  to  resume  the  large  practice  which  he  had  suc- 
ceeded in  building  up  after  so  very  many  years  of  struggles  and 
difficulties,  during  all  of  which  he  never  flinched  from  his  set  pur- 
pose, giving  a  brilliant  example  to  his  pupils,  and  gathering  around 
him  a  numerous  circle  of  friends  and  admirers,  whose  sincere  wish 
is  that  he  may  be  long  spared  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  laborious 
life  and  reap  the  rich  harvest  he  has  sown. 

135 


L^^£..€^~^^J-^-^l^^€^^^^^t 


GEORGE    CADWALADER, 

BRKVKT  BIAJOR-GKlsrKRAX.  XTNITEID  STATES  ARIetY. 
By  EUGENE  L.  TOWNSEND. 


)^HE  Cadwalader  family  is   of  Welsh  origin.      The 
,  j^   name  is   derived   from   cad,  meaninsr   battle  ;    and 
~    gwaladr — a  leader  or  lord.     Owaladr  would  seem 
to  have  its  origin  in  gwal — a  wall  or  defense  ;  and  adre, 
signifying  at   home   or  abroad — everywhere.     History 
informs   us  that  Cadwalader  was    the   last  king  of  the 
Britons,  and  that  he  slew  in  battle  Lothaire,  king  of  Kent, 
and  Ethelwold,  king  of  the  South  Saxons. 

The  Cadwaladers  appeared  in  America  about  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  Dr.  Thomas  Cadwalader,  a  celebrated  physi- 
cian, was  the  son  of  John  Cadwalader,  and  was  born  in  Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania,  in  1707.  His  son.  General  John  Cadwalader, 
was  distinguished  for  his  zealous  and  steadfast  adherence  to  the 
cause  of  American  Independence.  He  participated  in  many  of  the 
engagements  of  the  war  of  '76,  and,  in  order  to  maintain  General 
Washington's  integrity,  fought  a  duel  with  General  Conway, 
severely  wounding  him.  His  son.  General  Thomas  Cadwalader, 
was  born  in  1779,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1801.  He  com- 
manded the  Light  Brigade  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  in  1814, 
being  only  thirty-four  years  of  age.  For  many  years  after  the  close 
of  the  war,  he  was  the  commandant  of  the  troops  belonging  to  the 
city  and  county  of  Philadelphia,  and  retained  the  esteem  and  high 
considerations  of  his  fellow-citizens  during  the  entire  period  of  his 
life. 

His  son,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Major-General  George 
Cadwalader,  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1806,  and  educated  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  graduated  in  1823.     Sur- 

137 


GEORGE    CADWALADER. 

rounded  on  every  side  by  subjects  relating  to  military  affairs,  his 
associates  being  almost  entirely  military  men,  his  inclinations  natn- 
rally  turned  in  the  direction  which  such  associations  would  lead 
him ;  and  thus  was  laid  the  foundation  of  a  future  brilliant  mili- 
tary career.  At  an  early  age  he  familiarized  himself  with  the  tac- 
tics of  the  three  arms  of  the  service — Artillery,  Cavalry,  and 
Infantry  ;  and,  in  1824,  joined  the  1st  troop,  "Philadelphia  City 
Cavalry."  In  1832,  he  was  chosen  Captain  of  the  "  Philadelphia 
Grays,"  and,  in  1842,  was  elected  Brigadier-General  of  the  First 
Brigade,  First  Division  Pennsylvania  State  Militia,  consisting  of 
the  volunteers  and  unenrolled  militia  of  the  city  proper  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  continued  to  hold  the  commission  by  successive  elections 
until  he  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  as  Major- 
General  of  Volunteers  in  1861  ;  and,  although  he  tendered  his  resig- 
nation to  the  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  at  the  commencement  of 
the  Mexican  War  in  1847,  it  was  not  accepted. 

We  now  approach  a  melancholy  period  in  the  history  of  the 
City  of  Philadelphia — a  time  when  the  citizens  were  to  learn  by 
dreadful  experience  the  terrors  of  a  mob  dynasty.  On  the  6th  of 
May,  1844,  in  the  district  of  Kensington,  there  was  inaugurated  a 
series  of  conflicts  between  members  of  the  Native- American  Party 
and  the  Irish  population,  which  resulted  in  the  loss  of  many  lives. 

It  was  here  that  the  services  of  General  Cadwalader  were  called 
into  requisition,  and  the  experience  of  past  years  eminently  quali- 
fied him  to  fill  a  position  where  a  thorough  military  education,  com- 
bined with  courage,  firmness,  and  moderation,  was  to  carry  out  to  a 
successful  issue  a  struggle  in  which  the  civil  authorities  were  impo- 
tent to  protect  the  rights  of  the  citizens. 

His  command  having  reached  the  locality  where  riot  ran  rampant, 
General  Cadwalader  briefly  addressed  the  crowd  assembled  below 
Master  street,  urging  them  to  preserve  peace,  assuring  them  that 
he  made  no  distinction,  knowing  neither  friend  nor  foe,  and  was 
determined  at  all  hazards  to  see  the  majesty  of  the  law  vindicated. 
For  many  days  the  public  press  recorded  the  triumph  of  mob  power 
over  legal  authority,  of  brutal  passions  over  human  reason.  Finally, 
however,  the  combined  strength  of  the  civil  and  military  forces 
subdued  the  spirit  of  disorder  which  sought  vent  in  the  destruction 
of  property  and  attack  upon  life. 

On  the  6th  of  July  following,  a  repetition  of  those  horrible 

scenes  was  enacted  in  another  portion  of  the  city,  entitled  the  dis- 

138 


GEORGE    CADWALADER. 

trict  of  Southwark.     The  aspect  of  the  locality,  to  quote  the  words 
of  a  daily  journal,  was  "  black,  suffocating,  and  bloody." 

Once  more  General  Cadwalader,  with  the  troops  under  his  com- 
mand, came  to  the  rescue  of  the  j^osse  comitatus.  He  exposed  him- 
self constantly  to  the  fury  of  the  rioters  ;  and,  so  incensed  were  the 
mob  against  him,  that  a  gallows  was  erected  at  the  Wharton  street 
Market,  upon  which  he  was  to  be  hung  the  moment  he  should  be 
captured. 

As  in  the  previous  instance,  order  was  restored,  and  tranquility 
reigned.  There  is  nothing  more  dangerous  to  the  peace  and  safety 
of  a  community  than  an  unrestrained  mob ;  and  nothing  more 
yielding  and  submissive  than  a  mob  when  handled  in  a  legal,  seri- 
ous, and  determined  manner. 

To  Philadelphia  is  due  the  credit  of  having  established  the 
point  which  had  hitherto  been  questioned,  that  the  civil  authorities 
were  vested  with  the  power  to  call  upon  the  citizen  soldiery  to  en- 
force the  laws,  which  they  had  found  themselves  inadequate  to 
maintain.  In  consequence  of  the  efforts  made  by  the  enemies  of 
General  Cadwalader  to  hold  him  personally  responsible  for  the 
deaths  caused  by  the  fire  of  the  military,  the  Legislature  of  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania  enacted  a  law  preventing  thereafter  a  civil 
magistrate  from  holding  a  military  officer  for  his  acts,  when  his 
services  were  invoked  by,  and  while  acting  under,  the  civil  authori- 
ties. Thus  was  swept  away  once  and  forever  all  opposition  against 
the  employment  of  a  military  force,  with  full  power  to  use  every 
means,  even  the  most  deadly,  to  maintain  the  honor  and  dignity  of 
the  laws. 

At  the  outset  of  the  war  with  Mexico,  General  Cadwalader  ten- 
dered to  the  President  of  the  United  States  the  services  of  the 
"Philadelphia  Grays;"  and,  disregarding  considerations  of  rank, 
offered,  as  their  Captain,  to  accompany  them  to  the  seat  of  war. 
This  offer,  however,  was  not  accepted ;  but  in  the  spring  of  1847 
he  was  appointed  a  Brigadier-General  in  the  United  States  Army. 
At  the  time  General  Cadwalader  received  his  commission,  the  sit- 
uation of  General  Taylor  at  Monterey,  from  a  military  point  of 
view,  was  considered  very  critical.  The  Regular  troops  had  been 
withdrawn  from  his  command  to  reinforce  General  Scott,  about  to 
invest  Vera  Cruz.  Santa  Anna,  taking  advantage  of  his  situation, 
advanced  with  a  much  superior  force  to  attack  him.  General  Cad- 
walader was  selected  by  the  President,  and  immediately  ordered  to 

139 


GEORGE    CADWALADEB. 

proceed  to  the  Rio  Grande,  clothed  with  authority  to  charge  the 
destination  of  the  troops  about  to  leave  New  Orleans  and  the  Rio 
Grande  for  Vera  Cruz,  and  to  hasten  to  the  relief  of  General  Taylor. 
In  the  event  of  his  ascertaining  that  a  portion  of  the  force  could  be 
spared  for  General  Scott,  full  discretionary  powers  were  accorded 
him  to  make  such  disposition  of  them  as  he  might  consider  appro- 
priate, and  in  case  he  should  supply  General  Scott  with  reinforce- 
ments, and  if  compatible  with  the  interests  of  the  service,  he  should 
accompany  them  in  person.  Arriving  near  Mataruoras  with  a  col- 
umn thus  organized,  information  of  the  successful  issue  of  the  battle 
of  Buena  Vista  was  received  from  General  Taylor,  thus  rendering 
his  position  secure,  and  enabling  General  Cadwalader  to  restore  the 
troops  en  route  to  General  Taylor  to  their  original  destination,  viz.. 
General  Scott,  at  Vera  Cruz  ;  commauding  tliem  in  person,  in 
accordance  with  the  discretionaiy  poweis  from  the  War  Depart- 
ment. 

Thereafter  General  Cadwalader  actively  participated  in  the  fol- 
lowing important  battles :  National  Bridge,  June  11th,  1847;  La 
Hoya,  June  20th,  1847;  Village  of  Contreras,  August  19th,  1847; 
Fortress  of  Contreras,  August  20th,  1847  ;  Fortress  of  Cherubusco, 
August  20th,  1847 ;  Molino  del  Rev,  September  8th,  1847 ;  Chapul- 
tepec,  September  12th  and  13th,  1847 ;  San  Cosme  Gate,  City  of 
Mexico,  September  14th,  1847.  In  all  of  which  engagements  he  is 
mentioned  in  the  rej^orts  of  his  superior  officers  as  having  "  dis- 
played great  judgment,  high  military  skill,  and  heroic  courage." 
According  to  the  evidence  of  General  Persifor  F.  Smith,  General 
Cadwalader's  position  in  the  battle  of  Contreras,  on  the  19th  of 
August,  insured  "  the  success  of  the  operations  on  the  morning  of 
the  20th."  Early  in  the  storming  of  Chapultepec,  General  Pillow 
having  been  wounded,  the  command  devolved  upon  General  Cad- 
walader, who  directed  the  operations  of  the  American  troops  to  a 
successftil  issue  ;  and,  being  the  onl}'  general  officer  who  entered  the 
fortifications  with  the  assaulting  forces,  he  received  personally  from 
General  Bravo,  the  Mexican  commandant,  his  sword,  in  token  of 
surrender.  The  flag  of  the  fortress  was  duly  forwarded,  with  hia 
report  of  the  transaction.  In  recognition  of  services  on  this  occa- 
sion, the  Government  conferred  upon  him  the  brevet  rank  of  Major- 
General  in  the  United  States  Army,  "for  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct,"  the  commission  bearing  date,  September  13th,  1847. 

In  January,  1848,  in  accordance  with  instructions  from  Genera! 

140 


GEOEGE    CADWALADER. 

Scott,  witli  about  4,000  regulars  of  his  own  selection,  Greneral  Cad- 
walader  occupied  the  great  city  and  fertile  valley  of  Tolusca,  and 
assumed  the  duties  of  Military  Governor,  filling  that  office  for  the 
period  of  two  months. 

During  the  interval,  from  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War  in  1843 
to  the  opening  of  the  great  national  conflict  in  1861,  General  Cad- 
walader  remained  at  his  home  in  Philadelphia. 

In  April,  1861,  in  puisuance  of  a  requisition  from  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  for  troops,  the  Governor  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  detailed  General  Cadwalader  to  be  mustered  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  being  one  of  the  general  officers  then 
in  commission  from  the  State. 

On  the  15th  of  May  he  accompanied  the  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ments to  Baltimore,  where  was  awaiting  his  arrival  a  telegram  from 
General  Scott  directing  him  to  assume  command  of  the  Department 
of  Annapolis,  establishing  his  head-quarters  at  Fort  McHenry.  It 
was  at  this  locality  that  the  first  writ  of  habeas  corpiis  issued  during 
the  war  was  served  upon  him  in  i\xe  case  of  Mr.  Merryman.  Gen- 
eral Cadwalader  refused,  however,  to  acknowledge  the  validity  of 
the  summons,  in  which  action  he  was  sustained  by  the  Govern- 
ment. 

On  the  9th  of  June  he  left  Baltimore  to  join  the  column  com- 
manded by  General  Patterson,  then  marching  upon  Harper's  Ferry. 
At  Greencastle,  Pennsylvania,  he  assumed  the  command  of  the  1st 
Division,  consisting  of  the  brigades  of  Colonel  George  H.  Thomas, 
General  Williams,  and  Colonel  Longnecker,  and  marched  to  Wil- 
liamsport,  Md.,  subsequently  crossing  the  Susquehanna,  and  ad- 
vancing to  Martinsburg,  Va.  In  the  Council  of  General  and  Staff 
Officers  convened  by  General  Patterson  at  this  locality,  General 
Cadwalader,  in  due  course  of  opinion,  recommended  either  an  attack 
upon  the  Confederates  under  General  Johnston  at  Winchester,  or 
the  assuming  of  a  position  upon  his  right  flank  at  or  near  Berry- 
ville,  with  a  view  to  the  prevention  of  his  junction  with  General 
Beauregard,  otherwise  the  column  should  unite  by  the  way  of  Aldie, 
■with  General  McDowell's  forces  advancing  on  Bull  Run  from  Wash- 
ington. 

The  disaster  of  Bull  Run  ensuing,  and  the  term  of  service  of  a 
greater  portion  of  the  soldiers  having  expired,  the  balance  of  the 
troops  were  ordered  to  Washington. 

General  Cadwalader  received  the  commission  of  Major-General 

141 


GEORGE    CADWALADEB. 

of  Volunteers  the  25tli  of  April,  1862,  and  on  the  5th  of  August 
following,  by  orders  from  the  War  Department,  he  assumed  com- 
mand of'the  2d  and  6th  Divisions  of  the  Army  of  West  Tennessee, 
constituting  the  post  and  garrison  of  Corinth,  Mississippi. 

In  consequence  of  a  telegram  dated  the  13th  of  August,  for- 
warded from  the  War  Department,  referring  to  the  return  of  the 
army  from  the  Peninsula,  and  the  reorganization  of  the  same,  and 
announcing  that  no  further  advance  would  be  made  by  the  forces 
under  his  command.  General  Cadwalader  immediately  reported  to 
the  Oeneral-in-Chief  at  Washington.  At  this  time  the  numerous 
newly-organized  regiments  were  pouring  in,  and  were  assigned  to 
the  existing  commands.  The  contemplated  reorganization  of  the 
army,  therefore,  did  not  take  pla-ce. 

From  this  period  General  Cadwalader  was  occupied  in  fulfilling 
the  important  duties  to  which  he  was  assigned  by  the  ensuing 

orders. 

By  Special  Orders  No.  222,  Head-quarters  of  the  Army,  Ad- 
jutant-General's Office,  Washington,  September  5th,  1862,  he  was 
detailed  as  President  of  a  Court  of  Inquiry  in  the  cases  of  Major- 
General  Fitz-John  Porter,  General  Franklin,  and  General  Griffen. 
Requesting  to  be  relieved  from  duty  in  this  caso,  a  Court-Martial 
was  ordered  in  place  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry. 

By  Special  Orders  No.  256,  War  Department,  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Office,  Washington,  September  23d,  1862,  he  was  detailed  to 
sit  upon  a  Special  Commission  for  the  trial  of  such  cases  as  might 
be  brought  before  it. 

By  Special  Orders  No.  350,  Head-quarters  of  the  Army,  Ad- 
jutant-General's Office,  Washington,  November  17th,  1862,  he  was 
detailed  as  President  of  a  Court  of  Inquiry  regarding  certain  charges 
against  Major-General  McDowell. 

By  Special  Orders  No.  399,  War  Department,  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Office,  Washington,  December  17th,  1862,  he  was  detailed  to 
sit  upon  a  Board  of  Officers,  with  the  view  to  propose  amendments 
to  the  Rules  and  Articles  of  War,  and  a  Code  of  Regulations  for 
the  Government  of  Armies  in  the  Field. 

By  Special  Orders  No.  159,  War  Department,  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Office,  Washington,  April  7th,  1863,  he  was  detailed  as  a 
member  of  the  Court-Martial  of  which  General  Hitchcock  was  Presi- 
dent. 

By  orders   from  War   Department,    Washington,  July  16th, 

142 


GEORGE    CADWALADER. 

1863,  he  proceeded  to  PhUadelphia,  and  assumed  the  commaud  of 
the  forces  in  and  around  that  city. 

By  Special  Orders  No.  ,  War  Department,  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Office,  Wasliiugton,  January  9th,  1864,  he  was  detailed  on  a 
Court  of  Inquiry  to  investigate  the  conduct  of  Generals  McCook. 
T.  L.  Crittenden,  and  Negley,  and  to  be  held  at  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see. On  completion  of  the  duties  and  adjournment  of  the  Court, 
he  returned  to  Philadelphia. 

The  opposition  to  the  draft  in  Northern  Pennsylvania  havins 
assumed  formidable  proportions.  General  Cadwalader,  by  instruc- 
tions from  the  War  Department,  proceeded  on  the  26th  of  Aus^ust, 

1864,  to  Columbia,  Pennsylvania,  with  a  detachment  of  troops^ and 
broke  up  the  armed  resistance  to  the  Provost-Marshal  in  the  execu- 
tion of  the  draft 

About  this  period  Brevet  Major-General  Crossman,  Assistant- 
Quartermaster-Generai  on  duty  in  Philadelphia,  reported  to  General 
Cadwalader  the  failure  of  the  contractors  of  the  Government  in  fur- 
nishing a  supply  of  coal,  and  that  he  had  been  notified  by  the 
Quartermaster-General  of  the  scarcity  of  the  article  at  Old  Point 
Comfort— in  effect,  that  there  was  a  quantity  on  hand  sufficient  only 
for  a  few  days'  supply.     Considerable  consternation  was  created  in 
that  locality  by  this  state  of  affairs.     Upon  investigation,  it  was 
ascertamed  that  the  operatives  had  struck  for  higher  wages,  and 
would  not  allow  the  coal  to  be  forwarded  from  the  mines.     General 
Cadwalader,  in  the  name  of  the  Government,  immediately  seized 
the  rolling  stock  of  the  Reading  Railroad,  and  telegraphed  to  the 
Secretary  of  War  to  furnish  a  sufficient  number  of  railroad  experts 
to  enable  him  to  run  the  road.     In  a  few  hours'  time  one  hundred 
and  fifty  engineers  and  firemen  had  arrived  at  Philadelphia  from 
Washmgton,  and  were  speedily  forwarded,  under  the  escort  of  a 
sufficient  detachment  of  troops,  to  the  coal  regions.     Having  there 
made  the  necessary  arrests,  an  ample  supply  of  coal  was  Imme- 
diately shipped  to  Norfolk  and  the  surrounding  localities,  in  order 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  General  Grant's  army  in  front  of  Peters- 
burg.    Had  not  General  Cadwalader  in  this  emergency  acted  with 
determination  and  expedition,  one  could  easily  imagine  what  fearful 
results  might  have  ensued.     The  army  could  not  have  remained 
there  witliout  subsistence,  nor  could  adequate  means  have  been  pro- 
vided for  its  withdrawal. 

General  Cadwalader  was  subsequently  engaged  in  protecting  the 


GEORGE    CADWALADEE. 

frontiers  of  Pennsylvania,  causing  to  be  made  a  topogi-aphical  sur- 
vey of  the  Susquehanna  river  from  its  mouth  to  some  distance  north 
of  Harrisburg  with  a  view  to  its  defense,  and  superintending  the 
forwardin"'  of  hirge  numbers  of  convalescents  to  their  regiments  at 
the  front. 

By  Special  Orders  No.  17,  Head-quarters  Middle  Military 
Division,  Washington,  May  15th,  1865,  he  was  detailed  as  Presi- 
dent of  a  Board  to  prepare  lists  of  officers,  who,  it  was  considered 
desirable,  should  be  retained  in  or  discharged  from  the  United  States 

service. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1865,  the  troops  having  returned  from  the 
seat  of  war.  General  Cadwalader  tendered  his  resignation  as  Major- 
General  of  Volunteers,  which  was  duly  accepted  by  the  Govern- 
ment. 

Since  that  period  he  has  resided  in  Philadelphia.  In  addition 
to  filling  the  position  of  President  of  the  Mutual  Assurance  Com- 
pany, to  which  he  was  elected  over  thirty-five  years  ago,  he  is  the 
Commandant  of  the  Loyal  League  of  the  United  States. 


ly/.   Ca^^ 


a 


JOHN    MURRAY    CARNOCHAN,   M.  D. 


•,  f  -PC  0^^  MURE  AY  CARNOCHAN,  late  Health-Officer 
|\{(«,j^'tjj([  of  the  port  of  New  York,  and,  one  of  the  most 
V^;-,^ /f^t^  celehrated  surgeons  of  this  country,  was  born  in 
iMktsUfiM  j.]-jg  ^[^j  Qf  Savannah,  Georgia,  in  1817.  His  paternal 
ancestors  were  Scotch,  and  he  is  descended  on  his 
mother's  side  from  General  Putnam,  famous  in  our  War 
of  Independence. 
When  quite  a  boy  he  was  removed  to  Edinburgh,  the  capital 
of  his  father's  native  land,  where  he  in  time  made  good  use  of  the 
educational  facilities  extended  him,  and  graduated  iu  the  high 
school  and  university  of  that  city.  Returning  to  the  United 
States,  he  entered  the  office  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Valentine  Matt, 
of  New  York,  as  a  student  of  medicine.  He  hero  diligently  prose- 
cuted his  studies  under  most  superior  advantages  ;  and,  after  taking 
his  degree,  again  visited  Europe,  and  passed  several  years  in  attend- 
ance upon  the  clinical  lectures  of  Paris,  London,  and  Edinburgh. 

In  1847,  he  fixed  his  residence  in  New  York,  and  commenced 
the  practice  of  the  profession  he  has  adorned  with  rare  genius,  and 
in  which  numerous  brilliant  and  original  acliievements  have  gained 
for  him  an  honorable  name,  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

He  was  appointed,  in  1851,  Surgeon-in-Chief  of  the  New  York 
State  Emigrant  Hospital,  a  station  which  he  has  held  for  the  past 
twenty  years. 

In  the  practice  of  his  profession.  Dr.  Carnochan  has  performed 
many  wonderful  operations,  which  signalized  him  as  one  of  the 
most  daring,  brilliant,  and  skillful  surgeons  of  the  day.  In  1852,  he 
inaugurated  the  practice,  and  first  successfully  treated,  a  case  of 
Elephantiasis  Arabum,  by  ligature  of  the  femoral  artery,  and,  in 
the  same  year,  performed  the  operation  of  amputating  the  entire 
lower  jaw,  with  disarticulation   of  both  condyles.     In  1854,    he 

extracted  the  entire  ulna,  for  extensive  enlargement  and  disease  of 

145 


JOHN    M.    CARNOCHAN. 

that  bone,  saving  the  arm.  with  it3  functions  unimpaired  ;  and, 
subsequently,  in  another  case  of  similar  disease  of  the  bone,  he 
removed  the  entire  radius  with  equal  success.  He  performed,  for 
the  first  time,  in  1856,  one  of  the  most  startling  and  original  oper- 
ations on  record,  in  exsecting,  for  neuralgia,  or  iic-douloureux,  the 
entire  trunk  of  the  second  branch  of  the  fifth  pair  of  nerves,  from 
the  infra-orbital  foramen,  as  far  as  the  foramen  rotundum  at  the 
base  of  the  skull, — giving,  at  the  same  time,  a  new  pathology  to  this 
disease,  locating  the  source  of  pain  and  disease  on  the  trunk  of  the 
nerve  anterior  to  the  Gasserian  ganglion. 

Amputation  at  the  hip-joint  he  has  performed  four  times  ;  once 
on  the  18th  of  May,  1864,  at  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania,  where  he 
was,  for  the  time  being,  acting  in  his  professional  capacity,  under 
direction  of  the  Surgeon-Greneral  of  the  United  States. 

From  1851  to  lb63.  Dr.  Carnochan  was  professor  of  the  prin- 
ciples and  operations  of  surgery  in  the  New  York  Medical  College, 
associated  with  Dr.  Horace  Green,  and  other  distinguished  profess- 
ors. This  institution  had  attained  great  celebrity  from  the  high 
reputation  and  practical  talent  of  the  professors  connected  with  it, 
but  was  discontinued  during  the  war  on  account  of  the  loss  of 
Southt  rn  patronage,  by  which  it  was,  to  a  great  extent,  supported. 

In  addition  to  a  most  comprehensive  and  successful  practice, 
Dr.  Carnochan  has  also  made  valuable  contributions  to  the  surgical 
literature  of  the  day,  thus  evidencing  both  the  wisdom  and  research 
of  the  theorist,  and  the  skill  and  tact  of  the  operator.  Among 
his  other  productions,  he  has  published  his  lecture  on  partial  am- 
putations of  the  foot,  lithotomy  and  lithothrity,  and  also  a  ''  Trea- 
tise on  Congenital  Dislocations"  (New  York,  1850);  "Contribu- 
tions to  Operative  Surgery"  (Philadelphia),  &c. 

Since  the  fon'going,  gathered  chiefly  from  the  "  New  American 
Encyclopedia,"  Dr.  Carnochan  has  performed  many  other  impor- 
tant operations  ;  amongst  which  may  be  mentioned  the  ligature 
Upon  both  common  carotid  arteries  in  a  case  of  Elephantiasis  of 
the  head,  face,  and  neck  ;  the  ligature  of  the  common  carotid  on 
one  side,  and  of  the  external  carotid  on  the  other,  for  hypertrophy 
of  the  tongue.  He  has  also  operated  frequently,  and  with  success, 
in  cases  of  large  ovarian  tumors  which  required  removal. 

In  following  up  the  different  modes  of  practice  upon  extensive 
varicose  enlargements  of  the  veins  of  the  leg  and  thigh,  he  has  tied 
the  femoral  artery  on  six  different  patients.     This  practice,  which 

146 


JOHN    M.    CaHNOCHAN. 

had  not  been  theretofore  employed,  was  attended  with  indifferent 
results. 

In  the  paths  and  pursuits  of  science,  particularly  as  regards 
medicine  and  surgery,  it  is  a  rare  thing  to  develop  anything  really 
new  in  practice.  These  have  been  cultivated  with  all  the  powers 
of  intelligent  application  and  diligent  research  by  so  many  of  the 
great  minds  of  the  world  for  centuries  past,  that  little,  apparently, 
has  been  left  to  learn. 

Dr.  Valentine  Mott,  with  an  originality  peculiarly  his  own, 
struck  out  in  unexplored  fields,  and  accomplished  much  in  the  way 
of  professional  progress  ;  and  his  pupil,  the  subject  of  our  sketch, 
no  less  enterprising,  has  proved  himself  worthy  of  his  instructor^ 
in  a  successful  practice,  attended  with  a  number  of  new  and  bril- 
liant operations,  avouching  a  genius  as  emphatic  iu  originality  as 
beneficent  in  scientific  results. 

In  1870,  Dr.  Carnochan  was  appointed  by  G-overnor  Hoffman, 
and  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  State  Senate,  Health-Officer  of  the 
port  of  New  York.  In  assuming  the  duties  of  this  responsible 
position,  he  went  to  work  understandingly,  and  soon  developed  the 
same  characteristic  ability  which  had  assured  such  distinguished 
success  in  his  professional  career.  His  administrative  talent, 
together  with  his  iutelligeDt  discrimination  and  foresight,  enabled 
him  to  establish  a  prompt  and  effective  quarantine,  without  un- 
necessarily embarrassing  the  pursuits  of  commerce ;  in  fact,  he  re- 
duced his  administration  to  a  system  based  upon  principles  and 
laws  which  preside  over  and  govern  all  quarantinable  diseases. 

In  his  report  for  the  year  ending  December  31st,  1870,  he 
says : 

"The  subject  of  quarantine,  as  now  properly  understood,  has  numerous  recip- 
rocal relations  in  connection  with  the  interests  of  commerce  and  the  preservation 
of  the  public  health.  It  should  be  considered  with  the  view  of  reducing  its 
management  to  a  regular  system,  in  order  that  the  various  details  may  be  carried 
oat  with  promptness  and  discrimination,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  to  impose  the 
least  possible  restraints  upon  commercial  enterprise  compatible  with  the  public 
safety.  The  quarantine  laws  were  originally  made  to  guard  against  the  introduc- 
tion of  pestilential  diseases  into  our  country  by  the  arrival  of  infected  vessels  at 
the  various  seaports.  Sanitary  and  commercial  interests  are  thus  apparently,  by 
an  imi)lied  necessity  of  restraint,  thrown  into  a  kind  of  antagonism.  By  a  proper 
knowledge,  however,  of  the  history,  progress,  and  laws  which  govern  the  course 
of  pestilential  maladies,  the  regulation  of  quarantine  can  Ije  so  systematized  as  to 
accomplish,  in  a  great  degree,  the  objects  for  which  quarantine  was  instituted, 
and  yet  not  necessarily  embarrass  the  pursuits  of  commerce,  except  so  far  as  to 
insure  the  general  safety  of  the  community.     To  carry  on  properly,  however,  ^ 

U7 . 


JOHN    M.    CARNOCHAN. 

system  with  these  ends  in  view,  the  necessary  facilities  for  administration  must  be 
provided.  It  is  of  great  importance  that  persons  arriving  from  infected  localities 
who  are  sufiering  with  disease  shall  be  completely  isolated,  at  the  same  time  that 
they  be  well  cared  for,  and  receive  good  medical  attention.  The  second  class 
of  persons  who  should  be  subjected  to  quarantine  are  those  who  have  been  exposed 
to  infection,  and  who  may  have  the  seeds  of  disease  lurking  in  their  systems. 
These  should,  also,  be  isolated  for  a  certain  length  of  time,  in  order  to  afford 
opportunity  for  observation  of  their  condition,  during  the  period  of  incubation 
which  is  common  to  contagious  diseases.  Persons  who  have  been  exposed  to  a 
malarial  atmosphere,  or  who  have  been  breathing  for  a  time  a  close  air  charged 
with  pestilential  poison,  should  not  be  permitted  to  mingle  freely  in  a  healthy 
community,  as  thereby  disease  is  apt  to  be  developed;  still,  it  would  be  inju- 
dicious and  inhuman  to  keep  those  who  have  been  merely  exposed  to  disease  in 
contact  or  communication  with  the  sick.  To  meet  the  requirements  of  this  class 
of  persons,  means  must  be  provided  to  secure  positive  isolation,  and  the  various 
hygienic  appliances  for  the  prevention  of  disease,  and  the  elimination  of  the  pesti- 
lential influences  with  which  their  systems  may  be  charged,  while  the  various 
comforts  of  good  diet,  pure  air,  clean  bedding,  etc.,  shall  be  provided.  The  con- 
struction of  artificial  islands  in  the  lower  bay,  with  an  area  of  from  two  to  three 
acres,  sutlicient  in  extent  for  the  erection  of  hospitals,  and  other  appropriate  build- 
ings, for  the  accommodation  and  hygienic  management  of  the  sick  and  infected, 
and  placed  sufficiently  remote  to  insure  immunity  from  danger  of  the  spread  of 
disease,  will  secure  incalculable  benefits  to  the  citizens  of  New  York  and  the 
adjoining  cities  of  Brooklyn  and  Jersey  City.  From  the  extensive  and  wide- 
spread ramifications  of  the  mercantile  interests  of  the  city  of  New  York,  pestilen- 
tial diseases  must  necessarily  liud  their  way  to  the  harbor  of  the  great  commercial 
emporium  of  tiie  country  ;  y^t,  with  such  structures  located  at  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor,  offering  every  comfort  to  the  unfortunate  sufferers,  combined  with  a  well- 
regulated  administration  of  quarantine,  the  public  may  rest  in  tranquil  safety 
while  pestilence  is  kept  at  bay  at  the  very  gates  of  the  city." 

The  suggestions  contained  in  the  report,  of  which  the  foregoing  is 
an  introductory  extract,  were  generally  adopted  and  approved  by  the 
legislative  authorities ;  and  the  quarantine  establishment  of  the  Port 
of  New  York  attained  a  degi-ee  of  perfection  unequaled,  perhaps, 
and  certainly  not  surpassed  elsewhere,  and  which  may  be  still  further 
enhanced  by  the  system  of  warehouses  for  the  storage  of  infected  . 
goods,  and  other  appointments,  which  Dr.  Carnochau  labored  to  in- 
troduce, with  a  view  to  make  up  the  general  complement  of  facilities 
necessary  for  an  efiicient  quarantine. 

During  his  administration  cholera  and  yellow  fever  appeared  fre- 
quently in  the  Port  of  New  York,  but,  through  his  foresight  and 
careful  management,  the'  disease  was  coniiued  to  the  Funits  of  the 
harbor,  and  did  not  reach  the  citf. 

Dr.  Carnochan's  term  of  office,  as  Health  Officer,  expired  in  Febru- 
ary, 1872,  since  which  time  he  has  resumed  the  practice  of  surgery 
and  medicine  in  New  York  city,  still  retaining  the  position  of  Sur- 
aeon-in-Chief  to  the  State  Hospital. 


SALMON   PORTLAND  CHASE, 

ciiiE;F-.jusTicrc  of  thk  united  states. 


(EEPLY  graven  upon  the  hearts  and  memories  of 
/-v  J  the  people  are  the  philanthropic,  juridical,  financial, 
t^S  and  political  services  rendered  our  country  and  the 
world  by  tlie  distinguished  subject  of  this  brief  memoir. 
As  the  impress  of  the  die  upon  the  metal  of  our  na- 
tional currency  is  a  portion  of,  and  identical  with,  the 
coin  itself,  even  so  have  his  public  acts  become  a  part 
of  the  history  and  glory  of  our  country.  We  regret  that  compelled 
brevity  confines  us  to  but  a  cursory  review  of  the  most  salient 
points  in  a  grand  and  noble  career. 

Salmon  Portland  Chase,  son  of  Ithamar  and  Jeannette  Chase, 
was  born  at  Cornish,  away  up  among  the  "everlasting  hills"  of 
New  Hampshire,  on  the  SOth  of  January,  A.  D.  1808  ;  he  is  there- 
fore at  this  period  in  the  very  prime  of  a  ripe  and  vigorous  manhood. 
His  youthful  peculiarities,  in  many  respects,  were  prophetic  of 
the  renown  of  his  after  years.  He  was  noted  in  his  school-days 
as  being  remarkably  intelligent — very  studious  and  persevering, 
accomplishing  all  his  tasks  with  ease  and  satisfaction — as  being  par- 
ticularly attentive  to  all  his  moral  and  social  duties — truthful  and 
magnanimous  in  his  disposition — carrying  ever  a  soul  and  temper 
high  above  all  littlenesses  ;  and  though  delicate  and  refined  in  all 
his  tastes  as  a  woman,  yet  in  his  sports  and  pastimes  a  very  David 
in  activify,  endurance,  and  manly  strength. 

When  but  seven  years  of  age,  he  displayed  such  a  marked 
fondness  for  books  and  the  acquisition  of  instructive  information, 
that  he  was  placed  by  his  parents  at  an  excellent  school,  at  Keene, 
N.  H.,  adapted  to  the  education  of  much  older  pupils.  Here,  as  m 
all  subsequent  new  positions,  he  proved  equal  to  the  situation,  and 
marked  his  juvenile  progress  with  results  most  gratifying  to  his 
preceptors. 


149 


SALMON    P.    CHASE. 

When  twelve  years  old,  the  death  of  his  excellent  father  having 
tianspired,  he  became  the  protege  of  his  uncle,  the  Right  Rev. 
Philander  Chase,  Bishop  of  Ohio  (Episcopalian).  Under  the 
kindly  benefactions  and  tutelage  of  this  worthy  prelate,  the  future 
Governor  of  the  State  of  his  adoption  pursued  and  completed 
with  great  credit  liis  academic  course. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  (1824),  he  matriculated  as  a  junior 
fellow  at  Dartmouth  College,  from  which,  after  a  period  of  two 
years  of  faithful  devotion  to  the  high  standard  of  study  prescribed 
at  that  time-honored  institution,  he  graduated  with  honor  (1826). 
And  then  began  his  practical  life.  Theretofore  he  had  been 
engaged  upon  the  study  of  abstruse  theories  and  the  elements  of 
systems.  He  was  now  to  practically  apply  these  in  solving  the 
problems  of  existence.  At  the  commencement  of  this  new  era  in 
his  affairs,  he  found  himself  in  the  very  usual  predicament  so  often 
remarked  of  many  of  the  greatest  men  at  the  outset  of  their 
respective  careers.  He  was  without  means,  opulent  or  influential 
friends,  or  any  flattering  prospects.  He  most  decidedly  had  his 
own  way  to  make.  The  great  world — all  untried — a  terra  incog- 
nita, lay  before  him.  But  in  lieu  of  estates,  potential  friends, 
mature  experience,  and  fortunate  prestige,  he  possessed  vigorous^ 
healthy  youth — a  mind  well-trained — perceptions  strong — a  splendid 
elementary  education  such  as  few  older  men  of  his  time  had  acquired 
— a  reputation  unsullied,  joined  to  determined  energy,  and  a  high  am- 
bition to  make  the  very  best  use  of  all  his  faculties  and  opportunities. 
With  this  stock  in  hand,  the  "  Ferry-boy  "  (as  he  had  been  sur- 
named  in  allusion  to  some  episode  of  his  earlier  years)  embarked 
on  his  future  course. 

He  first  proceeded  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  opened  a 
classical  school ;  and  though  he  made  there  his  advent  unheralded 
and  unknown,  and  planted  himself  amid  a  people  entertaininn- 
sentiments  upon  many  subjects  (and  especially  upon  the  subject 
of  slavery)  entirely  at  variance  with  his  own,  nevertheless,  his 
sterling  merits  conquered  all  prejudices  ;  and  when  they  became 
apparent,  as  soon  they  did,  his  school  was  liberally  patronized,  and 
he  continued  to  carry  it  on  with  great  success  for  several  years, 
pursuing  at  the  same  time  a  thorough,  judicious  course  of  legal 
study  in  the  ofSce  of  William  Wirt,  then  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  celebrated  members  of  the  Southern  bar. 

In  1829,  after  a  critical  examination,  he  was  admitted  to  the 

150 


SALMON    P.    CHASE. 

District-of-Colnmbia  bar.  He  then  broke  up  his  school,  and,  in  the 
spring  of  1830,  took  up  his  residence  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he 
at  once  entered  diligently  into  the  practice  of  the  law,  and  success, 
far  beyond  his  most  extravagant  expectations,  disclosed  the  measure 
of  his  ability  and  honest  worth. 

Witli  his  professional  victories,  young  Chase  did  not  become  a 
drudge,  and,  for  the  sake  of  success,  neglect  all  things  but  his  pro- 
fession. On  the  contrary,  amid  all  the  absorbing  labors  and  inter- 
ests of  his  rapidly-growing  practice,  to  which  he  assiduously 
devoted  himself,  "  working  in  that  probation  through  whicli  many 
sleep,"  he  found  time  in  which  to  cultivate  and  improve  his  rare 
intellect,  by  always  keeping  "  well  up  "  in  his  belles-lettres  and  in 
paying  his  proper  devoirs  to  society.  In  fact,  his  strict  regard  for 
social  conventionalities  throughout  his  whole  life  has  become  pro- 
verbial, and  his  home  at  this  day  is  the  school  of  refinement  and 
punctilious  obsei'vance  of  every  sensible  conventionalism.  He 
soon  acquired  the  reputation  of  being  an  earnest,  deep  thinker,  a 
clear  and  instructive  writer,  a  forcible  and  eloquent  debater  ;  and, 
moreover,  he  was  considered  as  a  most  valuable  acquisition  to  the 
more  elevated  circles  of  social  intercourse,  as  the  pages  of  many  of 
the  leading  periodicals  and  the  literary  and  social  annals  of  the 
day  will  bear  witness. 

He  was  a  favorite  contributor  to  the  North- American  Revieto 
and  to  the  Western  Monthly  Magazine,  at  that  time  the  leading 
literary  organs  issued  remote  from  the  Atlantic  sea-board,  and  was 
an  influential  and  popular  member  of  the  various  philanthropic 
and  educational  organizations  of  Cincinnati,  to  which  was  then 
accorded  the  palm  as  being  the  center  of  refinement,  wealth,  and 
intelligence  of  the  great  West. 

About  this  time  he  achieved  a  marked  reputation  as  the  editor 
of  a  carefully  annotated  and  indexed  Revision  of  the  Statutes  of 
Ohio,  with  a  prefatory  history  of  the  State,  comprised  in  three 
large  volumes. 

In  the  year  1834  (aged  26),  he  was  retained,  under  Federal 
auspices,  as  the  senior  solicitor  for  the  United  States  Bank  in 
Ohio,  and  soon  after  received  a  similar  mark  of  preference  from 
one  of  the  leading  State  banking  organizations. 

In  1837,  he  was  more  prominently  brought  into  public  notice 

as  principal  counsel  in  the  celebrated  Fugitive- Slave  Case,  wherein 

a  colored  woman  was  claimed  from  freedom  under  the  law  of  179.'5 ; 

151 


SALMON    P.    CHASE. 

and  in  the  same  year  he  signalized  himself  before  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Ohio  iu  his  eloquent  defense  of  James  G.  Bu-ney,  who 
was  being  prosecuted  under  the  Ohio  statutes  for  harboring  a 
slave.  These  forensic  achievements,  •  together  with  many  other 
successful  displays  of  legal  ability,  established  him  in  the  first 
rank  of  his  profession ;  and  from  thenceforth,  as  a  pleader 
and  advocate,  his  superiority  as  a  lawyer  was  certified  to  the 
world. 

In  the  year  1841,  at  the  early  age  of  33  years,  he  may  be 
said  to  have  first  entered  upon  his  career  of  statesmanship.  From 
that  period  until  1849,  he  was  a  zealous,  diligent,  and  conspicuous 
participant  in  the  political  affairs  of  his  State  and  of  the  West. 
During  the  latter  year  he  was  chosen  to  represent  Ohio  in  the 
United  States  Senate  ;  and  in  that  distinguished  office,  as  the 
compeer  of  Clay,  Calhoun,  Webster,  Crittenden,  and  Seward, 
he  conscientiously  served  his  State  and  country  with  characteristic 
patriotic  zeal  and  signal  ability. 

In  1855,  he  received  the  popular  vote  of  his  State  for  Governor, 
and,  in  1857,  was  again  elected  to  the  same  high  office.  In  both 
terms,  it  was  accorded  by  his  fellow-citizens,  without  distinction  of 
party,  that  his  able,  prudent,  and  dignified  administration  enhanced 
and  confirmed  the  rapidly- growing  credit,  prosperity,  and  impor- 
tance of  the  State. 

In  1861,  he  was  again  chosen  United  States  Senator.  Hardly 
had  he  taken  his  seat,  when  Mr.  Lincoln,  desirous  of  surrounding 
himself  (in  the  crisis  which  his  proj^hetic  eye  saw  too  surely  must 
come)  with  a  wise  aud  sagacious  cabinet,  sought  Mr.  Chase,  and 
tendered  him  the  important  position  of  Minister  of  Finance. 
Yielding  to  the  urgent  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  him,  he 
vacated  his  Senatorial  office,  and  accepted  the  laborious  and  self- 
sacrificing  duties  of  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  In  the  prompt, 
decisive  action  with  which  he  inaugurated  his  advent  as  the  nation's 
financier,  during  a  political  convulsion  the  limits  and  efiects  of 
which  no  human  foresight  could  determine,  we  behold  with  pro- 
foundest  wonder  the  remarkable  adaptability,  the  grand  mental 
proportions,  and  the  moral  intrepidity  of  the  man.  He  found  the 
Government  coffers  empty — depleted  by  a  reckless  and  corrupt 
administration  ;  he  filled  them  to  overflowing.  He  found  the 
places  of  trust  either  vacated  or  filled  with  seditious  incumbents  ; 

he  cleared  them  out,  svrept  and  garnished  the  public  treasury,  and 

152 


SALMON     P.    CHASE. 

infused  new,  vigorous,  patriotic,  loyal  life  into  evei-y  branch  of  the 
Grovernment  suboi-dinate  to  that  department. 

He  literally,  by  a  scheme  of  finance  such  as  never  before,  in  any 
previous  age,  had  been  dreamed  of,  from  nothing  evoked  substance 
— from  the  very  dross  of  the  earth  he  brought  forth  gold.  Ho 
gave  the  country  unlimited  credit,  where  before  was  discredit ;  and 
from  the  utter  weakness  of  poverty  in  financial  resources,  he  com- 
manded all  the  strength  and  prestige  of  boundless  national  wealth. 
The  extent  of  his  services  to  the  Republic  rendered  during  the 
long,  dark,  anxious  period  of  the  rebellion,  and  the  measure  of 
their  benefits  to  his  country  and  the  human  race,  no  pen  can 
depict,  no  human  power  can  calculate. 

To  quote  from  a  celebrated  writer:  "His  brilliant  career  in 
this  Department  (Treasury),  the  nerve  he  displayed,  the  breadth 
of  intellect  he  manifested,  the  ardor  and  zeal  of  his  patriotism,  and 
the  wonders  wrought  by  his  financial  wisdom  and  skill  throughout 
the  first  three  years  of  the  rebellion,  are  so  recent,  so  well-remem- 
bered, and  live  so  freshly  in  the  hearts  of  his  grateful  countrymen, 
as  to  render  unnecessary  anything  more  than  this  simple  reference. 
His  enduring  monument  is  built  of  his  measures.  His  finest  eulogy 
is  written  in  his  acts.  He  vindicated  the  wisdom  of  Lincoln's 
selection.  He  both  justified  and  rewarded  the  confidence  of  the 
people." 

His  administration  of  the  national  exchequer,  under  the  heavy 
responsibilities  occasioned  by  that  most  burdensome  and  terrible 
crisis  (the  most  formidable  in  all  its  proportions,  and  more  sangui- 
nary, destructive,  and  heart-rending  in  its  results  than  any  modern 
calamity  of  war,  pestilence,  or  famine),  has  astounded  the  world, 
and  demonstrated  a  problem  of  national  financial  expediency  which 
had  never  before  been  solved. 

Thus  nobly,  and  true  to  all  the  highest  inspirations  of  patriot- 
ism and  duty,  did  he  acquit  himself  The  dark  cloud  of  civil  war 
had  nearly  passed — in  this  last  role  of  statesmancraft  no  more 
grand  systems  of  national  finance  and  of  taxation  were  necessary  to 
be  settled;  his  grand  occupation  of  helping  to  save  his  country  from 
the  utter  ruin  which  threatened  it  was  done  ;  then,  and  not  till 
then,  did  he  voluntarily  lay  down  his  high  ofiice  (to  which  he  had 
given  so  remarkable  a  character  that  to  this  day,  in  this  Gov- 
ernment so  proverbial  for  constant  change,  all  his  measures  remain 
respected  and  permanent)  and   prepare  to  return  to  his   private 

153 


SALMON     P.    CHASE. 

labors  ;  when,  once  again,  as  if  Heaven  had  anointed  him  as  an 
especial  instrument  to  rebuild  the  war-shattered  walls  of  the  great 
Republic,  and  to  unravel  and  settle — as  well  for  the  conquered  as 
for  the  conquerors — the  abstruse  legal  entanglements  which  sucli 
a  conflict  must  necessarily  have  caused,  he  was  selected  by  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  and  the  representatives  of  the  country  to  take  up 
the  mantle  of  the  great  Marshall,  then  fallen  by  the  demise  of 
Taney  ;  and  on  the  6th  day  of  December,  1864,  in  the  56th  year 
of  his  age,  he  took  his  seat  as  the  Sixth  Chief-Justice  of 
THE  United  States. 

In  this  truly  exalted  position,  Mr.  Chase  has  more  than  justi- 
fied the  wisdom  which  prompted  his  appointment.  During  his 
administration,  the  weightiest  and  most  complicated  questions — 
involving,  some  of  them,  the  very  principles  upon  which  our  Gov- 
ernment is  based — have  been  determined  and  settled  forever;  and  the 
energy  and  sterling  ability  which  he  has  displayed  in  disposing  of 
these,  confirm  and  strengthen  all  that  ever  has  been  uttered  or 
inscribed  in  eulogy  of  his  previous  career,  and  give  token  and 
promise  of  justice  and  peace  for  his  country  in  the  future 

In  1868  Chief-Justice  Chase  presided  over  the  High  Court  of 
Impeachment,  for  the  trial  of  President  Johnson  ;  and,  in  July  of  the 
same  year,  was  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  at  the  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention,  held  in  New  York. 

To  the  foregoing,  published  in  our  first  edition,  we  have  to  add 
the  recent  and  unexpected  death  of  Chief-Justice  Chase,  which  oc- 
curred in  New  York  city  May  7th,  1873.  For  several  years  past  he 
had  been  in  delicate  health,  having  suffered  once  or  twice  from 
strokes  of  paralysis.  Possessed  naturally  of  a  most  robust  physique, 
it  had  been  hoped  by  his  friends  that  his  life  would  be  prolonged  for 
many  years,  but  latterly  the  progress  of  decay  had  been  rapid,  and 
he  sank  quietly  to  rest  on  the  day  above  mentioned,  in  the  house  of 
his  friends,  surrounded  by  those  nearest  to  his  heart.  The  funeral 
ceremonies  of  the  great  Chief  Justice,  both  in  New  York  and  Wash- 
ington, were  impressive  in  the  extreme.  His  loss  was  felt  as  a  na- 
tional bereavement,  and  he  was  mourned  by  the  whole  people  as 
public  men  are  seldom  mourned.  He  leaves  a  brilliant  example  to 
his  profession,  and  the  world  will  write  high  up  in  its  long  list  of  the 
illustrious  dead  of  1873,  the  name  of  Salmon  P.  Chase, 

In  closing  a  review  of  his  great  life,  in  the  various  public  offices 

15i 


SALMON     P.      CHASE. 

he  had  filled,  a  leading  journal  of  the  city  pays  him  the  following 
well-deserved  tribute : — 

"  When  the  struggle  began  for  which  he  ha  1  done  more  than  any 
one  else  to  prepare  the  people  of  the  North,  he  assumed,  according 
to  his  habit,  the  most  exacting  and  responsible  post.  He  took  his 
place  in  a  bankrupt  treasury  and  prepared  to  organize  the  finances 
upon  which  the  issue  of  the  war  depended.  How  he  accomplisned 
this,  tlie  world  knows  and  will  never  forget.  Here,  at  least,  there  is 
no  room  for  discussion.  Of  him  may  more  exactly  be  said  what 
Webster  said  of  Hamilton,  '  he  touched  the  dead  corpse  of  the  pub- 
lic credit  and  it  rose  to  its  feet'  The  vast  resources  necessary  to 
the  support  of  an  array  of  a  million  of  men  were  supplied  with  the 
apparent  ease  and  regularity  of  a  natural  phenomenon.  There  was 
no  halting,  no  shaking  in  the  wind,  during  all  those  days  of  dark- 
ness, even  when  three  millions  a  day  were  required  for  the  immense 
and  consuming  machinery  of  war.  And  this  colossal  undertaking, 
which  ranks  its  author  among  the  greatest  financiers  of  all  time,  w^as 
begun  and  carried  through  by  this  statesman,  orator,  lawyer,  who 
had  had  no  preliminary  training  for  this  special  work,  and  who,  dur- 
ing its  progress,  relied  solely  upon  himself  While  he  used  the  best 
powers  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  receiving  their  sugges- 
tions and  criticisms  with  equal  liberality,  he  always  rigidly  reserved 
to  himself  the  most  absolute  prerogative  of  ultimate  decision. 

"Chief-Justice  Chase's  judicial  career  was  only  remarkable  in  its 
splendid  possibilities.  His  time  was  too  short  to  allow  him  to  stamp 
his  name  indelibly  upon  our  legal  history.  When  he  went  upon  the 
Bench,  it  was  seriously  questioned  whether  his  long  disuse,  his  life 
passed  in  politics,  would  not  disqualify  him  for  this  august  judicial 
position.  But  the  way  in  which  he  discharged  its  duties  was  a  new 
surprise  to  his  friends  and  the  profession.  He  showed  from  the  be- 
ginning an  easy  mastery  of  legal  principles,  which  increased  and 
broadened  continually  up  to  the  hour  when  the  malady  which  de- 
stroyed him  made  its  first  tei-rible  attack.  With  ten  years  more  of 
life  he  would  have  gained  as  a  jurist  the  same  unquestioned  pre- 
eminence which  belongs  to  liim  as  a  statesman  and  a  financier.  Of 
coui'se,  from  the  hour  of  his  investiture  as  Chief  Justice  he  retired 
from  active  politics.  Every  public  utterance,  as  well  as  his  entire 
judicial  record,  shows  how  utterly  he  had  overcome  the  partisan  habit 
of  the  past,  and  how  clear  and  far-reaching  his  views  of  government 
bad  become.    He  was  the  first  to  foresee  the  evils  which  w<ire  to  come 

155 


SALMON     P.      CHASE. 

upon  the  South  from  the  situation  inherited  from  slavery  and  the 
war.  He  was  the  first  to  warn  the  negroes  of  the  dangers  in  their 
way  from  the  intrigues  of  adventurers,  and  to  point  out  to  the  whites 
the  only  means  of  counteracting  the  locust-plague  which  was  coming 
Neither  side  listened  to  him  ;  if  both  had  done  so,  much  of  bloodshed 
and  dishonor  might  have  been  spared.  But  his  words  and  influence 
were  not  without  avail  in  infusing  a  degree  of  moderation  and  toler- 
ance into  the  councils  of  the  republicans,  and  in  inducing  the  demo- 
crats to  free  themselves  from  the  fetters  of  a  dead  and  condemned 
past,  and  to  face  the  requirements  of  the  present  and  the  future. 

"But  when  all  this  is  said,  something  greater  than  all  remains  to 
be  added — that  the  man  was  greater  tiian  his  history.  His  record 
presents  no  stumbling-blocks  in  the  way  of  the  young  and  ardent 
■  His  blameless  hfe  can  bear  the  light  reflected  upon  it  by  his  great 
achievements.  It  needs  no  reserves  or  concealments.  In  every  social 
and  domestic  relation  he  was  without  blemish.  Amid  all  the  wide 
corruption  of  the  time,  and  the  wider  babble  of  calumny,  his  name 
remains  as  white  and  unsrairched  as  if  it  belonged  to  some  hero  of 
tradition.  He  was  a  firm,  consistent,  and  active  Christian — confessing 
his  faith  openly,  and  giving  to  religious  matters  the  earnest  attention 
which  showed  he  considered  them  the  chief  of  human  concerns. 
There  is  no  finer  story  in  all  our  annals  than  that  of  this  strenuous 
and  coherent  life :  this  great  moral  gladiator,  upright  and  just  before 
heaven  and  men,  fighting  the  good  fight  faithfully  all  his  days,  and 
passing  at  last  from  the  summit  of  earthly  honors  into  the  infinite 
peace  of  God." 


The  portrait  preceding  this  sketch  was  engraved  some  years  ago,  when  Mr. 

Chase  was  Governor  of  Ohio. 

156 


'2y'  a 


^ 


STERLING  ROBERTSON   COCKRILL. 


i/iVN  1779,  General  James  Robertson,  a  daring  pioneer,  at 
l^A  the  head  of  a  colony,  arrived  at  the  bluff  on  the 
■^^^^ji-^'  Cumberland  River  where  Nashville  now  stands, 
^^•'  '  His  colony  embraced  his  three  brothers— Elijah,  Mark, 
and  Charles  Robertson ;  his  sister,  Ann  Robei-tson  ;  John 
Cockrill,  and  many  others.  The  blnfl'  was  a  dense  cane- 
?l^  brake  and  the  hunting  ground  of  Indians.  The  colony 
built  a  log  fort  and  moved  into  it,  and  there  lived  for  a  number  of 
years  subject  to  the  attacks  of  Indians  and  other  hardships  incident 
to  frontier  life.  The  year  after  their  arrival  John  Cockrill  and  Ann 
Robertson,  sister  of  Gen.  Robertson,  were  married  in  the  fort.  They 
had  seven  children— three  sons  and  four  daughters — the  eldest  of 
whom  was  John  Cocki-ill,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  notice. 
The  youngest  son  of  this  marriage,  Mark  Robertson  Cockrill,  died 
recently  near  Nashville,  Tenn.  He  was  a  famous  stock  raiser  in 
Tennessee  and  Mississippi,  and  also  won  a  national  reputation  as  a 
wool  grower,  taking  a  premium  for  fine  wool  at  the  World's  Fair  in 
London  in  1851.  This  wool  was  grown  in  a  low  latitude  (36°),  there- 
bv  reversing  the  long  entertained  opinion  that  high  latitudes  alone 
could  produce  the  finest  wool.  He  was  perhaps  the  best  informed 
sheep  grower  in  the  work! 

John  Cockrill,  son  of  Ann  Robertson  and  John  Cockrill,  married 
Elizabeth  Bibb  Harding,  of  Goochland  Co.,  Virginia,  and  raised  eight 
children,  the  eldest  being  Sterling  Robertson  Cockrill,  who  was  born 
near  the  city  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  derived  his  middle  name  from 
his  grandmother,  Ann  Robertson.  He  is  therefore  related  to  the 
large  families  in  and  around  Nashville,  descended  from  the  pioneers, 
Robertsons  and  Hardings.  Justice  Catron  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme 
Court  and  Judge  Morgan  Brown  married  granddaughters  of  Elijah 
Robertson,  one  of  the  strongly  marked  and  influential  pioneers  of 

157 


STERLING     ROBERTSON     COCKBILL. 

the  colony  before  mentioned.  Gen.  William  Giles  Harding,  the 
owner  of  Belle  Meade,  six  miles  from  Nashville,  and  his  son-in-law, 
Gen.  William  H.  Jackson,  are  among  the  number.  The  Cockrill 
Spring,  now  owned  by  the  Fair  Grounds  Company,  was  the  resi- 
dence of  the  family  for  nearly  half  a  century. 

John  Cockrill.  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  success- 
ful stock  grower  in  Middle  Tennessee  for  some  years  after  his  mar- 
riao-e,  and  he  then  moved  to  North  Alabama  near  the  Tennessee 
river,  and  commenced  cotton-planting  on  a  small  scale. 

From  Alabama  his  son  Sterling  Eobertson  Cockrill  was  sent  to 
Transylvania  University,  Lexington,  Kentucky,  from  which  he 
graduated,  taking  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  with  the  first  honor 
in  his  class.  Three  years  afterwards  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts 
was  conferred  on  him,  and  in  the  interim  he  took  the  degree  of  Bach- 
elor of  Laws.  He  read  law  with  Orlando  Brown,  uncle  of  B.  Gratz 
Brown,  and  James  Collinsworth,  afterwards  Chief  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Texas,  and  a  descendant  of  the  pioneer  stock  of 
Kobertsons.  Mr.  Cockrill's  first  decided  exhibition  of  character  was 
shown  in  his  collegiate  career.  He  went  through  Transylvania  Uni- 
versity fi.-om  the  Freshman  class  to  graduation  without  being  absent 
at  a  single  recitation;  evidence  of  a  fine  constitution,  self-control, 
good  habits,  perseverance,  and  self  will,  all  of  which  were  fully  estab- 
lished in  after  life.  He  was  endowed  with  a  fine  physical  organiza- 
tion, six  feet  two  inches  high,  weight  two  hundred  pounds,  and 
blessed  with  such  health  that  for  a  period  of  twenty  years  he  never 
took  a  dose  of  medicine,  although  he  resided,  the  greater  portion  of 
the  time,  in  the  malarial  districts  of  the  Cotton  States. 

He  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  North  Alabama,  in  the  valley 
of  Tennessee  river.  He  was  here  made  a  director  in  a  railroad  com- 
pany when  there  were  not  three  hu'xlred  miles  of  railroads  budt  in 
the  United  States.  He  married  Ann  Henrietta  McDonald,  daughter 
of  Col.  James  McDonald,  colonel  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  and  descended 
from  the  McDonald  clan  of  Scotland.  His  wife's  mother  was  Eliza 
Aylett  Moore,  of  Virginia,  a  family  of  extensive  connections.  His 
capital  was  health,  constitution,  and  good  habits,  aided  by  education. 
Successful  in  his  conflict  with  the  troubles  of  early  life,  he  soon 
acquired  a  small  competency,  turned  his  attention  to  the  soil,  and 
became  a  ''cotton  grower"  in  North  Alabama,  still  continuing  to 
study  and  practice  his  profession.  Early  in  life  he  manifested  strong 
and  superior  judgment  concerning  property,  and  consequently  became 


158 


STERLING     ROBERTSON     COCKRILL. 

a  successful  trader.  Without  any  apparent  efibrt  his  estate  con- 
tinued to  increase,  but  he  unfortunately,  as  it  proved  afterwards, 
invested  everything  in  ''  coUon  property  "  i.  e.,  land  and  negroes. 

As  soon  as  he  decided  to  become  a  "  cotton  grower,"  he  com- 
menced to  study  the  wants  of  this  important  agricultural  pursuit, 
and  soon  made  up  his  mind  that  several  changes  in  the  existing 
status  were  absolutely  required  : 

1st.  That  a  more  humane  policy  in  the  management  of  servants 
would  increase  the  protits  ; 

2d.  That  the  "cotton-picking,"  done  now  by  human  fingers,  could 
be  accomplished  by  iron  fingers  and  horse  ])ower ; 

3d.  That  the  health  of  "  cotton  growers  "  and  their  families  could 
only  be  preserved  by  leaving  the  malarial  valleys  of  the  cotton 
districts  a  portion  of  the  summer. 

He  adopted  on  his  plantation  a  system  of  rules  for  his  overseers, 
differing  much  from  all  his  neighbors,  and  decidedly  more  humane, 
dispensing  almost  entirely  with  corporeal  punishment.  The  rei^ults 
were  highly  satisfactory.  He  became  in  time  the  owner  of  275 
slaves,  engaged  in  cotton  gi'owing,  and  had  them  employed  as  labor- 
ers on  the  Arkansas  river  near  Pine  Bluif  when  the  war  commenced 
in  1861. 

As  a  remedy  for  the  tedious  plan  of  cotton  picking  he  had  the 
"Cotton  Cleaner"  invented  and  patented,  which  is  to  lake  out  the 
leaf  before  ginning.  This  macliine  is  a  success  and  a  foronmner  to 
the  "Field  Picker,"  which  was  patented  but  not  completed  when 
the  war  began,  and  now  remains  in  the  hands  of  the  mechanic  at 
luka,  with  no  means  to  work  it  to  a  success.  This  machine,  if  suc- 
cessful,- will  have  a  decided  influence  over  the  future  history  of 
cotton  growing  in  the  United  States.  It  may  enable  the  white  race 
to  cultivate  the  bottom  lands  of  the  cotton  states,  which  lias  been 
done  heretofore  by  the  negroes  who  are  organized  for  low  latitudes. 
The  lands  of  the  Arkansas  river  are  alluvial,  having  a  deposit  of 
twenty  feet  from  overflows.  The  rain  fall  per  annum  is  about  fifty 
inches,  and  the  season  between  frosts  seven  and  a  half  months.  Cot- 
ton is  a  sun  plant,  very  delicate  while  young,  and  easily  destroyed, 
but  becoming  more  vigorous  and  m^ire  hardy  as  it  progresses.  Heat 
and  moisture  are  necessary  to  its  growth,  and  they  produce  a  mala- 
rial poison,  injurious  to  health.  Frost  dissipates  this  poison,  and 
the  country,  even  in  the  alluvial  valleys  of  the  Mississippi,  Arkan^ 
sas,  and  Red  rivers,  the  best  portion  of  cotton  districts,  is  reasonably 

159 


STERLING     ROBERTSON     COCKRILL. 

healthful  nine  months  in  the  year.  To  avoid  the  effects  of  this 
malarial  poison,  Mr.  Cockrill  built  a  "  Summer  Home  "  at  Beersheba 
Springs,  Tennessee,  on  the  Cumberland  Mountain  plateau,  in  hit 
36°,  situated  2,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea — a  fine,  cool,  and 
healthful  place  for  a  summer  residence,  and  not  far  removed  from 
the  cotton  fields. 

The  summer,  therefore,  became  a  season  of  leisure,  which  he 
devoted  to  study  and  amusements,  and  made  himself  a  learned 
phrenologist,  an  accomplished  chess  player,  antl  a  scientific  agricul- 
turist. He  was  President  of  the  Tennessee  State  Agricultural 
Bureau  for  ten  years,  and  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
Hospital  for  the  Insane  for  the  same  period.  He  made  insanity  a 
study,  regarding  it  a  mysterious  affliction,  as  many  other  diseases 
are,  and  a  per  centum  curable.  He  collected  a  large  phrenological 
cabinet,  with  many  specimens  of  comparative  anatomy  of  the  difier- 
ent  races  of  the  human  family,  and  also  of  animals  and  birds  to 
illustrate  phrenology  as  the  correct  system  of  mental  philosophy. 
Practically  he  applied  the  rules,  and  became  a  fine  reader  of  charac- 
ter as  a  source  of  pleasure  and  pastime.  Philosophy  teaches  that 
all  truths  are  in  harmony,  and  his  opinion  is,  that  it  would  be  an 
improvement  m  our  system  of  collegiate  educatioii  to  introduce 
phrenology  as  the  best  system  of  mental  philosophy.  It  embraces 
anatomy,  physiology,  and  the  electric  laws  of  life. 

Up  to  1861  Mr.  Cockrill  had  gi'own  and  shipped  25  crops  of 
cotton  to  New  Orleans,  to  his  factors  or  commission  merchants, 
Fearn,  Donegan  &  Co.,  Dick,  Hill  &  Co.,  and  Bradley,  WilsOn  &  Co.. 
who  were  his  merchants  in  the  order  stated.  This  relationship  of 
cotton  grower  and  cotton  seller  was  mutually  profitable,  and  was 
maintained  with  great  fidelity  and  confidence,  and  constituted  an 
important  feature  in  cotton  culture.  The  merchants  were  the  finan- 
cial agents,  and  the  grower  shipped  to  them  every  bale  of  cotton 
grown.  Through  them  all  financial  arrangements  were  made.  The 
land  and  negroes  of  the  cotton  planters  constituted  the  collaterals  of 
the  merchants  and  formed  a  basis  of  credit  in  the  banks.  It  may  be 
affirmed  just  here,  that  no  safer  business  was  ever  done  by  banks 
than  that  based  on  cotton. 

Mr.  Cockrill's  income  up  to  this  time  had  grown  regularly  from 
75  to  1000  bales  per  annum,  and  his  credit  grew  in  proportion. 
His  fine  judgment  had  enabled  him  to  select  the  most  available  cot- 

160 


STERLING     ROBERTSON     COCKRILL. 

ton  districts  to  be  found  in  all  the  South,  that  is,  the  alluvial  lands 
on  the  Arkansas  river,  where  there  is  no  fear  of  overflow,  in  lat.  34°. 

Whilst  his  cotton  estate  was  growing,  his  family  also  had  grown 
— the  result  of  his  marriage  with  Miss  McDonald  being  a  family  of 
eight  children.  Of  his  sons — Emmet,  James  McDonald,  and  Sterling 
E.  Cockrill,  Jr. — the  two  first  named  have  died  since  the  war.  The 
other  is  a  gi-aduate  of  Washington-Lee  University,  Virginia,  and  of 
the  Law  School  of  Lebanon,  Tennessee.  He  married  Miss  Mary 
Ashley  Freeman,  of  Little  Eock,  Ai-kansas,  where  he  now  resides  as 
an  Attorney-at-Law.  His  wife  is  the  granddaughter  of  Chester 
Ashley,  who  was  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee  in  the  United 
States  Senate.  Mr.  Cockrill's  four  daughters — Elizabeth,  EfEe,  Hen- 
rietta, and  Amanthis — were  all  that  their  lo-ving  parents  could  desire, 
unsurpassed  in  ease,  grace,  and  beauty  as  sisters,  and  models  of  a  pure 
and  noble  womanhood.  Upon  them,  her  plastic  offspring,  the  mother 
stamped  her  own  virtues  and  graces.  One  by  one  these  daughters 
passed  away  in  early  life,  living  only  to  womanhood  to  make  home 
the  resort  of  polished  friends,  of  love,  and  of  happiness. 

Mrs.  Cockrill  still  lives,  presiding  with  dignity  over  her  house- 
hold, a  post  she  has  filled  for  nearly  forty  years,  conspicuous  for  her 
many  virtues,  and  enjoying  through  this  long  period  the  love  and 
devotion  of  her  husband.  The  void  in  her  family  is  partly  filled  by 
her  grandchildren,  and  among  these,  more  particularly,  a  grand- 
daughter, Miss  Annie  Annstrong,  whom  she  has  raised  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  her  mother. 

This  is  a  sketch  of  a  cotton  planter  before  1861,  an  educated  and 
accomplished  gentleman,  but  an  annual  producer  and  a  contributor 
to  the  wealth  of  the  nation.  His  crop  of  cotton  annually  made  a 
million  and  a  half  of  yards  of  cloth  to  aid  in  clothing  the  human 
family.  His  income  made  him  independent,  and  he  did  not  seek 
office. 

The  year  1861  is  an  era  long  to  be  remembered  in  the  United 
States.  The  quarrel  of  the  North  and  the  South  over  slavery 
brought  on  war  between  the  sections.  Mr.  Cockiill  was  the  owner 
of  275  negi-oes,  which  he  had  purchased  as  property  under  the  Con 
stitution  and  laws  of  the  land.  All  judicial  tribunals  now  agree 
that  they  were  property.  When  the  war  came,  he  avowed  his  right 
to  defend  his  property,  and  favored  separation  for  that  purpose  only. 
His  three  sons  and  three  sons-in-law  joined  the  Confederate  Army 
as  soldiers,  and  fought  gallantly  through  the  war,  believing,  with  the 

161 


STERLING  ROBERTSON  COCKRILL. 

chivalric  people  of  the  whole  South,  that  they  had  a  legal  right  to 
defend  their  homes  and  firesides.  He  himself  was  everywhere 
through  the  Confederacy,  aiding  in  support  of  his  sons,  cheering  the 
soldiers,  and  giving  information  and  counsel  to  those  in  authority, 
but  strictly  in  accordance  with  the  rules  of  civilized  warfare. 

At  the  end  of  four  years  the  Confederate  armies  were  overcome 
and  slavery  abolished,  which  the  Southern  people  believed  to  be  the 
object  of  the  war  in  the  beginning.  The  result  of  this  was  the  deso- 
lation of  all  the  South,  and  especially  the  cotton  districts,  and  tlius 
the  accumulations  of  thirty  years  of  Mr.  Cockrill  were  blown  to  the 
winds,  and  he  commenced  life  again  witliout  a  dollar.  Being  san- 
guine, hopeful,  and  determined,  he  went  to  work  without  a  murmur. 
He  sent  a  message  to  his  former  slaves  to  meet  him  in  Arkansas ; 
they  were  then,  at  the  close  of  1865,  in  Texas,  and  he  had  not  seen 
them  for  four  years*  They  promptly  obeyed  this  request,  and  the 
greater  portion  of  them  came  on  foot  from  the  Brazos  river  to  Pine 
Blufif,  Arkansas.  When  they  reached  Arkansas,  he  had  neither 
money  nor  credit  to  feed  them,  but  he  at  once  recognized  the 
effect  of  his  humanity  and  justice,  and  protection  of  them  whilst 
slaves.  He  advised  them  to  hire  themselves  out  the  first  year  to  a 
Federal  officer,  who  had  the  means  to  supply  their  wants  and  pay 
them  wages.  The  year  after  they  commenced  to  work  on  shares 
with  him,  and  they  are  now  with  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  having 
made  five  crops  together,  beginning  in  1867. 

The  Southern  people  recognize  a  high  compliment  due  to  the 
negi-oes  for  good  behavior  during  the  war.  They  are  a  peaceful, 
docile  race  when  left  to  their  own  counsels,  but  may  be  led  astray 
by  bad  men  as  they  now  are  by  unscrupulous  "  carpet-baggers  "  in 
all  the  Southern  States. 

Mr.  Cockrill  is  positive  in  his  decided  opposition  to  the  present 
(Grant's)  Administration,  and  has  worked  faithfully  and  effectively 
to  limit  it  to  "one  term."  He  considers  the  indignities  offered  the 
Southern  people  since  the  war,  far  greater  than  anything  done  during 
the  war.  Under  a  policy  of  justice  and  reconciliation  seven  years 
of  time  would  have  healed  many,  if  not  all  the  wounds  of  the  war ; 
but  different  counsels  have  prevailed,  sectional  animosities  are  kept 
alive,  a  noble  people  humiliated  and  impoverished,  and  forced  in 
present  grievances,  to  remember  past  sufferings.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  day  is  near  at  hand  when  the  public  sentiment  of  the  North 
will  be  disposed  to  forget  the  war  of  unequal  numbers.     In  a  con- 

162 


oiKttLING    ROBERTSON"    COCERTtL 

test  where  the  forces  were  four  to  one,  magnanimity  now  would 
seem  to  be  a  virtue.  There  are  many  who  believe  with  Mr. 
Cockrill,  that  a  conquest  won  by  brute  force  should  have  nothing 
specially  worthy  of  present  and  perpetual  resurrection,  or  of  future 
admiration  and  exultation. 

Mr.  Cockrill  and  his  family  were  of  that  large  class  of  agi-icultur- 
ists,  known  before  the  war  as  "  cotton  planters,"  who  contributed  so 
much  to  the  aggregate  wealth  of  the  nation.  Among  these  were  to 
be  found  the  best  blood  of  the  South,  men  of  commanding  position 
as  well  on  account  of  their  wealth  as  of  their  intelligence  and  social 
status.  As  a  representative  of  the  planting  interests  of  the  Cotton 
States,  under  the  new  order  of  things,  Mr.  Cockrill's  efforts  and  sue- 
cess  will  constitute  an  interesting  theme  for  consideration.  The 
prosperity  of  the  South  in  the  future  depends  in  a  great  measure 
upon  the  labor  question,  as,  with  reliable  labor  there  is  much  to 
hope  from  the  cotton  districts.  The  question  to  be  settled  is  what 
races  of  men  are  to  fill  the  void  made  by  the  freedom  of  the  negroes. 
K  the  white  race  can  live  in  the  sun  and  malaria  of  the  cotton  dis- 
tricts with  health  enough  to  be  valuable,  then  the  matter  can  be 
easily  and  rapidly  solved.  If  not,  Africa  and  Asia  must  supply  the 
need,  and  many  years  may  elapse  before  this  can  be  done.  Mr. 
Cockrill  believes  that  the  white  race  cannot  enjoy  health  in  the 
alluvial  valleys  of  the  Cotton  States. 

163 


/^:^^<ikyo<^ 


A^ 


■-T^"^^ 


WILLIAM   CUMBACK. 

By  Mrs.  M.  L.  Moody. 


.  N  these  days  when  oiir  admirable  system  of  free  schools 
equalizes  the  educational  advantages  of  all,  the  youth 
W/W^  of  our  land  can  scarcely  realize  the  obstacles  that  the 
-,?t  backwoods  student  liad  to  surmount  in  his  efforts  to 
obtain  a  respectable  education.  It  would  seem,  however, 
that  these  very  obstacles,  by  developing  the  energy,  resources, 
and  invention  of  the  seeker  after  knowledge,  were  the  means 
best  adapted  to  the  t  nd,  as  our  national  history  proves  that  the  men 
who  took  the  front  ranks  in  great  emergencies  were  self-taught,  self- 
made  men,  who,  beaten  between  the  hard  hammer  and  anvil  of  adver- 
sity, wrought  out  of  obscurity  a  career  and  a  name  which  our  people 
will  not  readily  forget 

A  distinguished  instance  of  this  devotion  to  a  noble  ambition  is 
the  Hon.  William  Cumback,  of  Indiana.  Born  of  humble  parentage, 
in  Franklin  County,  Indiana,  he  is  indebted  for  his  intellectual  force 
of  character  to  his  mother-^a  woman  of  great  mental  vigor,  which, 
uncultured  in  the  schoob,  nevertheless  asserted  itself  in  a  strong  and 
original  manner  in  the  neighborhood  of  her  home,  where  she  was  a 
favorite  and  an  oracle. 

Young  Cumback  worked  nine  months  of  the  year  on  his  father's 
farm,  attending  the  country  school  only  in  the  winter  months,  where  he 
made  such  progress  as  to  distance  his  teachers,  and  found  himself 
thrown  again  on  his  own  resources.  By  renting  a  piece  of  ground  and 
putting  in  a  crop  for  himself  he  was  enabled,  by  hard  work  and  self-denial 
to  supply  himself  with  an  outfit  for  college,  and  with  this  and  foup- 
teen  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents  in  his  pocket  he  set  out  for  Miama 
University.  He  paid  his  tuition  and  room  reiit  in  the  college  build- 
ing by  ringing  the  bell ;  and,  by  uging  the  most  rigid  economy,  was 
able  to  remain  at  Miama  six  months,  when,  funds  failing,  he  resorted 
to  teaching  as  the  means  best  adapted  to  advance  his  own  education' 
and  afford  a  support.  He  taught  for  several  years,  at  the  same  time 
pursuing  the  study  of  law  and  finishing  his  studies  by  attending  £j 

course  of  Law  Lectures  at  Cincinnati  Ohio. 

165 


WILLIAM      CUMBACK. 


In  1852,  lie  married  Miss  Martlia  Hulburt,  a  lady  of  education 
and  culture,  and  in  1853,  located  in  Greeiisburg,  Indiana,  where  he 
began  to  practice  his  jorofcssion.  He  eariy  distinguished  himself  by 
his  bold  and  manly  attitude  on  the  liquor  question,  which  at  that 
time  was  appealing  to  the  courts,  and  by  a  conscientious  regard  to 
truth  and  justice  be  won  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  community 
with  which  he  Lad  identified  himself.  In  185-4,  Mr.  Curaback, 
although  but  twenty-five  years  of  age,  showed  himself  such  a 
thoroughly  representative  man  that  he  was  unanimously  nominated 
by  his  party  for  Congress.  He  found  his  vocation  in  politics,  for 
though  not  a  professional  politician,  Mr.  Cumback  is  a  politician  by 
nature.  No  man  was  ever  more  happy  and  effective  on  the  stump. 
With  a  line  physique,  a  resonant  and  commanding  voice,  a  ready  wit, 
a  genial  humor,  and  a  sympathetic  eloquence  he  holds  a  crowd 
enthralled  and  sways  them  at  his  will. 

The  youngest  member  of  the  Thirty-fourth  Congress,  lie  made  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  the  debates  of  that  body;  and  particularly  in  the 
Kansas  investigation  frauds  the  young  debater  won  from  tlie  editor 
of  the  New  York  Tribune  the  In'ghest  encomiums  when  praise  from 
Horace  Greeley  was  fame.  The  speech  was  repoi-ted  by  the  Tribune, 
and  had  a  wide  circulation  also  through  other  prominent  journals. 
So  highly  was  Mr.  Cumback's  coui-se  approved  by  his  constituents 
that  in  1856  he  was  renominated  by  acclamation  ;  but  with  his  party 
throughout  the  country  suffered  defeat  In  1860,  he  was  nominated 
elector  for  the  State  at  large  by  the  Eepublican  State  Convention,  and 
ably  canvassed  the  state  for  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  and, 
being  first  on  the  electoral  ticket,  cast  the  first  electoral  vote  of  his 
native  State  against  the  slave  power,  to  overthrow  which  he  had  so 
long  and  steadfastly  battled. 

"When  the  great  civil  war  broke  out  Mr.  Cumback  enlisted  as  a 
private  soldier  at  the  first  call  for  Union  troops,  but  was  soon  after- 
wards appointed  paymaster,  in  which  capacity  his  tact  and  efBciency 
were  so  conspicuous  that  he  was  promoted  to  a  District  Department, 
•with  a  large  coips  of  subordinates  under  his  control.  His  high 
character  for  honesty  and  punctuality  commanded  large  sums  with 
no  other  security  than  his  word,  and  he  was  thus  able  to  forestall 
government  supplies  by  his  hold  on  public  confidence.  When  he 
requested  to  be  mustered  out,  so  exactly  and  faithfully  had  he  rendered 
his  accounts,  that  although  he  had  received  and  disbursed  over  sixty 
millions  of  dollars,  he  was  enabled  to  balance  his  books  in  three  days : 


166 


WILLIAM     CUMBAGK. 

an  example  of  business  rectitude  unprecedented  in  government  affairs. 
Mr.  Stanton,  recognizing  his  efficiency,  ofiered  liim  tlie  position  for  life 
in  tlie  regular  army ;  but  tlie  war  being  over  he  declined  and  returned 
to  the  practice  of  his  profession,  poorer  in  purse  than  when  he  left  it 
In  1865,  in  his  absence  his  party  nominated  liim  to  the  State  Senate, 
to  which  he  was  duly  elected.  Soon  after  taking  his  seat  the  Governor 
of  the  State  was  chosen  to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  the  Lieuten- 
ant Grovemor  became  Governor.  This  made  a  vacancy  in  the  Presi- 
dency of  the  Senate,  and  Mr.  Cumbacis:  was  chosen  to  that  position. 
How  well  he  filled  the  place  may  be  inferred  from  the  following  reso- 
lution offered  by  the  leader  of  the  opposition,  and  passed  by  a  unani- 
mous vote  at  the  close  of  the  session. 

Resolved:  "  Thai  the  most  cordial  thanks  of  the  Senate  are  hereby 
tendered  to  Hon.  William  Cumback,  for  the  ability,  integrity  and 
impartiality  with  which  he  has  uniformly  discharged  his  arduous  labors 
as  President  of  this  body :  that  for  the  urbanity,  hai-mony  and  pros- 
perity of  our  deliberations  we  are  greatly  indebted  to  his  deep  sense 
of  justice  and  his  elevating  reverence  for  principle." 

While  President  of  the  Senate  the  Fifteenth  Amendment  to  tlie 
Constitution  came  before  the  Legislature  of  Indiana  for  ratification. 
Mr.  Cumback  was  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  measure.  The  Demo- 
cratic members  of  that  body  bitterly  opposed  it,  and  to  prevent  its  pas- 
sage resigned,  leaving  less  than  two-thirds  of  the  Senators  in  their  seats. 
The  Constitution  of  the  State  provides  that  two-thirds  of  each  House 
shall  constitute  a  quorum.  In  tliis  unusual  dilemma  many  of  Mr. 
Cumback's  political  friends  asserted  that  the  true  rendering  of  the 
Constitution  meant  two-thirds  of  those  who  remnin,  and  not  two-thirds 
of  the  whole  number  constituted  a  quorum  Mr.  Cumback  maintained 
that  it  required  two-thirds  of  the  ivhole  number  elected,  and  that  the 
resignation  destroyed  the  Legislature,  that  the  Fifteenth  Amendment 
could  not  pass,  nor  could  any  other  legislative  work  be  done  in  accord- 
ance with  the  Constitution.  This  decision  required  courage ;  but  he 
made  it,  and  stood  by  it,  notwithstanding  the  great  pressure  brought 
lo  bear  agamst  it. 

The  next  Session  the  Fifteenth  Amendment  passed  the  Senate  with 
a  quorum  present  Two  years  later  the  opposition  had  the  majority, 
and  at  a  time  not-waiTanted  by  the  Constitution,  undertook  to  pass  an 
apportionment  bill,  which,  if  passed,  would  have  destroyed  the  polit- 
ical power  of  the  Republicans  for  years.  To  prevent  this  more  than 
two-thirds  of  the  Republican  members  resigned.     Governor  Cumback, 

167 


WILLIAM     CUMBACK. 

being  President  of  the  Senate,  announced  his  former  ruling,  and 
saved  his  party.  Had  his  sense  of  right  yielded  two  years  before, 
all  would  have  been  lost. 

In  1868,  Mr.  Cumback  was  nominated  Lieutenant  Governor  and 
canvassed  the  entire  State,  and,  although  the  State  ticket  embraced 
many  strong  and  popular  men,  the  force  of  Mr.  Cumback's  popu- 
larity earned  him  far  beyond  his  ticket,  and,  after  his  inauguration, 
secured  his  nomination  by  more  than  two-thirds  of  his  party  for 
United  States  Senator.  A  combination  of  the  friends  of  other  can- 
didates, however  defeated  his  election,  disappointed  the  popular  will, 
and  occasioned  the  deepest  regret  to  his  many  political  and  personal 
friends  throughout  the  State;  but,  unlike  most  defeats,  enthi-oned  him 
more  securely  than  ever  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  He  continued  to 
hold  the  office  of  Lieutenant  Governor  until  the  Spring  of  1870,  when 
he  was  appointed  Minister  to  Portugal  by  the  President,  and  con- 
firmed by  the  Senate ;  but  lie  prefen-ed  to  serve  his  country  at  home, 
and  declined  the  honor. 

In  1871,  he  was  appointed  Collector  of  Internal  Eevenue  in  the 
District  in  which  he  resides,  which  position  he  holds  at  the  present 
time  ( 1873 ).  In  1871,  he  was  chosen  to  deliver  the  Address  of 
Welcome  on  the  part  of  the  State  to  the  Delegates  from  all  the  other 
States  at  the  National  Convention  held  at  Indianapolis.  This  address 
was  one  of  the  happiest  efforts  of  his  life. 

Mr.  Cumback  has  not  only  done  the  State  much  sei-vice,  but  he 
is  a  pillar  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Chui-ch,  of  which  he  has  long 
been  a  member.  At  the  last  General  Conference  held  at  New  York, 
he  was  appointed  one  of  the  twelve  General  Trustees  of  the  Church. 
In  1867,  he  was  elected  President  of  the  State  Sunday  School  Union, 
and  discharged  the  duties  of  his  office  so  acceptably  that  he  was  re- 
elected in  1868.  In  1867,  he  was  chosen  to  deliver  the  Address  on  the 
occasion  of  the  meeting  of  the  four  Methodist  Conferences  at  Indian- 
apolis, and  acquitted  himself  in  his  usual  felicitous  manner. 

In  personal  appearance  Mr.  Cumback  is  tall,  of  somewhat  alder- 
manic  proportions,  with  a  handsome,  genial,  intellectual  face,  and 
most  cordial  and  engaging  manners.  Socially  he  is  distinguished  for 
his  liberality  and  his  doors  ever  turn  on  the  golden  hinges  of  hospi- 
tality. He  is  a  man  without  an  enemy,  for  his  large  humanity  em- 
braces all  his  race,  and  neither  party  feuds,  nor  religioxis  differences 
separate  him  from  his  kind. 

168 


JOHN   WATTS   DE   PEYSTER. 

By  IiACNCE  POYNTZ. 


'fA  HE  path  of  the  pioneer  leads  through  the  wilderness. 
'His  arm  and  his  axe  are  all  he  has  to  depend  on, 
to  make  of  the  dark  forest  a  light-pierced  clearing. 
He  finds  a  desert,  and  he  leaves  a  field.  He  turns  a 
gloomy  shadow  into  a  garden.  Where  tlie  wolf  howled, 
the  honest  watch-dog  barks.  But  the  born  pioneer  does 
not  long  enjoy  the  fruits  of  peace.  When  neighbors  come 
in  and  settle  around  him,  he  feels  crowded.  He  was  born  a  pioneer. 
To  clear  the  wilderness  is  his  vocation.  The  sweets  of  ease  and 
plentj'  pall  on  his  taste,  which  loves  the  wild  flavor  of  the  game  his 
foot  has  followed  Sooner  or  later  he  grows  restless,  and  pines  afresh 
for  the  wilderness  and  new  trees  to  fell,  new  trophies  for  his  chase. 
He  shoulders  his  axe  and  moves  off  once  more,  while  strangers  grow 
fat  in  the  fields  his  enterprise  discovered.  Boone  and  Kenton  gave 
a  new  St<ate  to  the  Union,  and  both  died  landless  ;  the  lonely  death 
of  old  Hawkeye  on  the  wild  prairie  is  but  a  type  of  the  fortunes  of 
the  pioneer  class.  One  soweth  and  another  reapeth ;  and  so,  too, 
with  the  pioneers  of  knowledge.  Franklin  found  his  way  to  the 
clouds  and  tamed  the  lightning,  but  Morse  made  his  fortune  off  the 
other's  beginnings.  Worcester  and  Fitch  were  the  pioneers  of 
steam — Watt  and  Fulton  saw  the  money  in  it,  and  made  it.  In 
every  department  of  knowledge  there  are  pioneers,  who  explore  for 
truth's  sake,  to  be  followed  by  clever  settlers,  who  take  possession  of 
the  clearings  they  have  made.  These  go  cannily  to  work  to  build 
their  houses  and  grow  rich,  while  the  pioneer  is  marching  ahead  to 
new  labors. 

Of  this  PIONEER  class  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  good  ex- 
ampla  In  his  specialty,  military  science,  pure  and  simple,  he  has 
made  more  discoveries,  proclaimed  more  truths,  labored  harder  with 
less  reward,  than  perhaps  any  other  man  living.  And  yet  he  is  com- 
paratively unknown,  save  to  a  select  few;  and  while  the  fruits  of  his 
labors  are  all  around  us,  not  one  in  a  hundred  knows  to  whom  we 

owe  the  results. 

169 


JOHN      WATTS     DE     PEYSTER. 

Like  all  pioneers,  he  is  a  self-made  man.  The  stamp  of  no  col- 
lege is  on  his  education,  to  announce  its  value.  West  Point  never 
owned  him.  Berlin,  St.  Cyr,  Woolwich,  never  numbered  him 
among  their  scholars.  But  none  the  less,  perhaps  more,  is  he  a 
thoroughly  educated  soldier;  and  belongs  to  that  rare  class  who 
finish  their  education  only  in  the  coffin.  With  all  this,  de  Peyster 
cannot  be  called  a  successful  man.  His  labors  and  suiferings  have 
been  fruitless  to  himself,  and  he  has  won  no  reputation  with  the  masses. 
One  reason  of  this  may  be  found  in  that  class — or  caste — jealousy, 
which  ignores  merit  out  of  the  beaten  track.  Another  lies  in  the 
character  of  the  man.  He  is  a  born  pioneer  in  study,  and,  like  the 
pioneer,  he  is  a  wanderer.  The  vague  yearning  for  change  and  soli- 
tude which  sends  one  to  the  forest,  sent  the  other  to  research.  Where 
Bancroft,  Macaulay,  Motley  and  Froude  become  favorites,  through 
the  elaboration  of  commonplaces  with  florid  elegancies  of  style, 
de  Peyster's  rough  and  involved  sentences,  pregnant  with  meaning 
as  they  are,  fail  to  charm  the  miiltitude,  and  are  only  examined  by 
the  critical  few.  His  books  are  like  the  Western  forests  in  which 
his  prototype  labors.  A  wilderness  of  trees  and  underwood  is  hewn 
into  clearings  here  and  there.  He  who  would  enter  must  go  by  the 
woodman's  path ;  he  must  follow  the  blaze  to  come  to  the  clearing. 
And  yet  in  one  specialty,  military  criticism,  our  subject  is  entirely 
unrivaled  in  America,  while  Jomini  is  the  only  military  critic  in 
Europe  who  can  approach  him.  Withal,  he  never  saw  a  battle.  He 
is  a  general  of  the  National  Guard.  Everything  is  against  the  frank 
acceptance  of  his  judgmenl  by  military  men  of  the  exclusive  class. 
Yet  the  soundness  of  those  judgments  is  best  evinced  by  the  fact  that 
his  most  earnest  admirers  are  to  be  found  in  the  most  exclusive  corps 
in  the  world,  the  U.  S.  Engineers.  The  cream  of  West  Point,  finished 
by  elaborate  study  of  every  army  in  Europe,  do  not  hesitate  to  in- 
dorse his  criticisms  as  sound  in  every  particular,  on  known  bases  of 
facts.  But  greater  than  the  opinions  of  any  man  or  set  of  men,  the 
indorsement  of  events,  occurring  as  predicted,  has  proved  the  cor- 
rectness of  de  Peyster's  conclusions  in  many  an  instance.  In  its 
proper  place  we  shall  give  some  of  these.  At  present  it  is  more  in 
order  to  sketch  the  principal  events  of  our  subject's  life. 

John  Watts  de  Peyster — the  only  son  and  child  of  Frederic  de  Peys- 
ter, Esq.,  President  of  the  New  York  Historical  Society — was  bom 
March  9th,  1821,  and,  happily  or  unhappily,  as  the  end  may  prove,  in 
affluence.    The  easy  circumstances  of  his  youth  have  enabled  him  to 

follow  his  own  inclinations,  and  those  have  uniformly  been  towards  the 

170 


JOHN     WATTS     DE     PEYSTER. 

systematizing  of  military  tlieory  and  practice.  On  bis  ariival  at  man- 
hood, war  in  its  scientific  phase  was  an  unknown  thhig.  The  only  ideas 
prevalent  on  the  subject  were  those  of  hunting  Indians  in  America, 
Kabyles  in  Algeria,  Sikhs  and  Malirattas  in  India,  Maoris  in  Austra- 
lia, Schamyl's  Muriils  in  the  Caucasus.  War,  all  over  the  world, 
seemed  to  be  reduced  to  a  hunting  of  half-armed  savages  or  half-dis- 
ciplined mobs,  with  bands  of  trained  machines,  perfect  in  the  battalioi 
drill,  called  soldiers.  The  bent  of  de  Peyster's  mind  took  liim,  pion- 
eer-like, into  a  new  field,  the  militia.  He  found  it  a  mob  of  colonels 
and  generals,  with  a  sprinkling  of  gaudily-uniformed  priva  es.  From 
tiie  year  1845  down  to  that  in  which  he  retired  ft-om  the  service  of 
his  native  State,  with  the  highest  rank  therein  attainable,  he  never 
ceased  his  efforts  to  make  it  into  an  arm}-  of  soldiers.  If  it  is  not 
that  now,  it  is  not  his  fault.  One  man,  alone  against  the  prejudices 
of  routine,  has  failed  to  do  everything  he  aimed  at  But  it  may  be 
safely  said  that  all  of  the  excellence  which  the  New  York  State 
National  Guard  boasts  of  to-day  is  owing  largely  to  de  Peyster's 
efforts,  when  Adjutant-General  of  the  State,  and  when  commanding 
the  only  country  brigade  in  the  service  at  the  time  which  dared  at- 
tempt evolutions  of  the  line. 

Besides  this,  he  proceeded  to  Europe,  at  his  own  expense,  as 
as  State  Mditary  Agent  for  New  York,  indorsed  by  the  General 
Government,  to  examine  and  report  upon  all  the  MiHtia  and  Fire 
Systems  of  the  different  countries.  Such  an  undertaking,  so  well 
accomplished,  has  no  parallel  in  the  United  States  before  or  since. 
A  pioneer  in  a  new  field,  a  "  prospector  "  among  unknown  mines,  he 
let  in  the  light  of  truth  upon  American  provincial  ignorance  of  mili- 
tary science,  and  accumulated  a  mass  of  precioirs  facts  which  have 
since  served  as  a  mine  for  an  army  of  pickers  and  stealers.  A 
direct  result  of  his  investigations  has  been  the  establishment  of  a 
Paid  Fire  Department  in  New  York  city,  second  to  none  in  the 
world,  as  proved  by  recent  experience.  The  same  winter  (1872-3) 
that  witnessed  the  destruction  of  half  of  Boston,  in  spite  of  the  .ill- 
directed  efforts  of  her  Fire  Brigade,  proved  the  efliciency  of  the  New 
York  Department,  as  first  recommended  by  de  Peyster,  in  a  remark- 
able manner.  Two  theatres  and  a  monster  hotel,  all  three  of  most 
fearfully  combustible  character  as  to  buikling,  caught  fire  within  a 
few  weeks,  at  times  when  the  water  froze  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
flames,  and  in  the  midst  of  whole  blocks  of  "  tiuderboxes  "  with  a 
gale  blowing.  In  only  one  case  did  tlie  flames  extend  beyond  the 
fii-st  building  seized ;  in  one  they  were  conquered  without  spreading 

"171 


JOHN     WATTS     DE     PEYSTER. 

over  a  fiftb  part  of  the  edifice.  And  to  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  more 
than  any  other  man,  belongs  the  honor  of  having  suggested  and 
urged  this  gallant  and  efficient  body  in  the  same  city  that,  a  few 
years  before  saw  whole  blocks  swept  away,  before  the  eyes  of  volun- 
teer fij-emen  engaged  in  a  free  fight 

John  Watts  de  Peyster,  Brevet  Major  General  S.  N.  Y.  by  "  Spe- 
cial Action,"  or  "Concurrent  Eesolution"  of  the  New  York  Legisla- 
ture, 9th-20th-  April,  1866,  is  the  first  and  only  general  officer 
receiving  such  an  honor  from  his  native  Slate,  and  the  only  officer 
thus  breveted  by  any  other  State.  He  enjoys  the  warm  friendship 
and  appreciation  of  the  magnanimous  A.  A.  Humphreys,  Major-Gen- 
eral,  and  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  and  many  others  of  the  same 
rank,  members  of  this  A  No.  1  Corps  ;  among  them  the  profound 
Barnard  ;  the  accomplished  Cullum  ;  the  gallant  Tower ;  the  reliable 
Wright ;  the  dashing  Warren.  Beside  these,  how  many  of  our  glo- 
rious commanders  in  the  field  have  attested  the  extent  of  his  I'esearch, 
the  clearness  of  his  criticisms,  and  the  soundness  of  his  judgment. 
Among  these  again  the-  patriotic  citizen  and  practical  strategist, 
Rosecrans ;  the  brilliant  and  clearsighted  Pleasonton;  the  veteran 
Heintzleman ;  the  solid  Crawford ;  the  tnisty  Mott ;  and  last,  not 
least,  the  sagacious  Sickles,  of  whom  "Fighting  Joe "  Hooker 
remarked  that  "the  day  would  come  when  it  will  be  a  question 
whether  the  result  of  Gettysburg  was  due  to  Sickles  or  to  Hancock." 
Abroad,  General  Sir  Edward  Cust,  B.  A.,  prefaced  his  last  two  mili- 
tary volumes  with  a  "Letter  Dedicatory,"  of  thirty-seven  pages  to 
de  Peyster,  many  of  whose  articles  have  been  translated  and  repub- 
lished in  Europe;  those  on  "Our  Infantry  Tactics,"  &c.,  serving  as 
the  basis  of  a  new  system.  Moreover,  H.  M.  Oscar,  King  of  Sweden, 
&c.,  &c.,  rewarded  de  Peyster's  first  military  work,  a  Biography  of 
Field-Marshal  Leonard  Toi"stenson  with  three  fine  medals,  &c.,  and 
his  Life  of  Major  General  Philip  Kearny  has  been  styled  the  best 
strictly  military  biography  of  a  soldier  ever  written  by  an  American. 

When  we  consider  that  the  services  of  de  Peyster  were  rendered 
at  the  price  of  continued  ill-health,  from  a  constitution  most  singu- 
larly subject  to  disease,  the  direction  of  his  labors  seems  the  more 
surprising.  A  nervous  invalid,  constantly  in  pain,  racked  with  forty 
years  of  suffering  from  hereditary  malady,  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
would  seem  the  last  man  in  the  world  for  a  soldier.  And  yet,  in 
that  theoretical  part  of  soldiership  which  makes  generals,  in  that 
application  of  mind  to  matter  which  distinguishes  a  Napoleon  from 
a  reckless  Murat,  he  has  few  equals  and  no  superiors  among  our 

J  72 


JOHN    Watts    de    peyster. 

generals  of  the  first  reputation.  A  careful  perusal  of  the  best  of 
his  scattered  writings  will  convince  a  man  of  military  judgment  that 
there  is  a  real  genius  for  war  hidden  in  those,  too  often,  careless 
parenthetical  paragraphs.  Now  and  then  comes  a  flash  of  truth, 
that  amply  repays  one  for  all  the  labor  and  impatience.  The  faults 
of  his  style  lie  in  a  direction  the  author  is  not  likely  to  travel  for 
improvement.  He  has  something  to  say ;  but  he  has  not  learned 
the  right  way  to  say  it.  Were  he  a  poor  man,  hard  necessity 
would  teach  him  that  writing  i^er  se  is  an  art  full  of  labor. 

The  excellencies  of  de  Peyster's  writings  consist  in  the  marvel- 
lous clearness  and  precision  of  his  criticisms  on  a  known  state  of 
facts,  whether  in  a  battle,  or  campaign  as  a  whole.  Besides  this,  in 
predicting  the  general  course  of  a  campaign,  and  the  location  of  the 
decisive  battle  fields,  he  has  and  has  had  but  one  equal  in  this  country, 
and  only  one  or  two  abroad.  The  best  illustrations  of  his  first 
merit  will  be  found  in  the  criticisms  on  the  battles  of  the  rebellion, 
contained  in  his  various  pamphlets,  and  in  his  history  of  the  Thii-d 
Army  Corps,  the  latter  published  in  the  Neiv  York  Citizen  during 
1870-71.  Were  these  criticisms  gathered  together,  the  book  would 
be  readable,  original,  and  interesting,  in  the  highest  degree. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  predictions  of  the  course  of  campaigns, 
which  have  been  published  by  de  Peyster,  chiefly  in  letters  to  the 
daily  press,  over  the  nom  de  plume  of  '■^Anchor,''  are  very  remarkable 
for  clearness  and  brevity,  as  well  as  for  accuracy.  The  author's 
mind,  impatient  of  the  slow  processes  of  induction,  leaps  to  his  con- 
clusions with  a  rapidity  and  general  accuracy  that  reminds  one  of 
the  feminine  intellect.  For  instance,  it  was  in  1853  that  he  excited 
surprise  by  predicting  boldly  that  before  thirty  years  were  over,  the 
Prussians  would  be  back  in  Paris.  In  eighteen  years  the  prediction 
was  fulfilled.  Eemembering  the  weak  and  humble  state  of  Prussia, 
and  the  apparently  secure  eminence  on  which  France  stood  in  the 
year  1853,  the  prediction  becomes  somewhat  remarkable.  The 
course  of  the  Austro-French-Italian  war  of  1859  was  predicted  by 
him  with  singular  accuracy  in  that  year.  As  to  the  war  of  1866,  at 
its  very  inception  he  not  only  foretold  its  results,  but  indicated  the 
place  where  the  final  battle  was  fought,  weeks  before  the  event  oc- 
curred. In  the  Army  and  Navy  Journal,  of  May  4th,  1867,  he 
mapped  out  the  Prusso-French  campaign  of  1870,  with  its  scene  and 
results,  in  a  manner  equally  accurate  and  prophetic.  Coming 
nearer  home,  to  our  own  struggle,  on  the  day  when  the  news  of  the 
battle  of  Williamsburg  reached  New  York,  de  Pevster  foretold  that, 

173 


JOHJn      n^ATTS     DE     PETSTER. 

and  bow  McClellan's  Peninsular  campaign  would  end  in  disaster ; 
this  too,  entirely-  independent  of  Eniil  Schalk's  celebrated  book, 
which  he  had  never  read.  In  1863,  he  predicted  the  course  and  ter 
mination  of  our  struggle,  then  at  its  crisis,  and  the  manner  in  which 
uhe  Southern  fire  would  be  at  last  swarmed  out  by  Union  life,  and 
soaked  out  in  Northern  blood. 

Taken  singly,  any  of  these  predictions  might  have  been  mere 
matters  of  coincidence.  Taken  together,  they  prove  for  their  pro- 
mulgator a  very  rare  faculty,  that  of  the  application  of  mathe- 
matical science  to  the  doctrine  of  chance  in  war.*  This  faculty 
Jomini  applied  only  to  the  past.  De  Peyster  stands  alone,  with  one 
exception,  in  the  bold  and  successful  prediction  of  the  fiUure  in  war. 
He  is  unknown,  outside  of  a  technical  circle,  and  if  character  were 
guaged  by  reputation  among  the  masses,  he  is  unsuccessful.  Among 
the  scientific  few  he  is  appreciated  at  his  true  value.  De  Peys- 
ter's  merit,  as  we  have  said,  is  obscured  by  the  imperfections  of  a 
atyle  essentially  opposed  to  patient  nari-ative,  and  fitter  for  stating 
general  conclusions.  If  he  could  to-day  burn  all  he  has  written, 
and  concentrate  his  efibrts  on  a  single  book,  containing  the  essciice 
of  his  extended  knowledge,  he  might  stand  beside  Jomini  in  his  own 
field,  and  excel  him  in  many  another.  That  he  will  do  so,  some 
day,  we  hope,  for  the  sake  of  military  science. 

*  "  The  Evening  Mail  "—Daily  and  Weekly,  I 
„         ^    „  New  Yoke,  December  13th,  1872.       f 

trEN.  J.   Watts  de  Peyster: 

My  Dear  General:— I  am  sorry  you  have  lost  my  letter,  congratulating  you  on 
your  wonderfuUy  accurate  prediction  of  the  French  disaster  at  Sedan— written  (my 
letter,  and  not  your  prediction)  just  after  the  event.  I  recollect  both  the  letter  aniS 
the  cause  of  it— because,  in  an  article  which  you  wrote  tor  the  Mail  you  foretold, 
with  considerable  detail,  the  exact  result  at  Sedan.  I  never  knew  a  great  event  M 
accurately  foreshadowed.  It  was  because  with  the  Germans  war  was  an  exact  sci- 
ence. You  penetrated  their  game  and  the  French  weakness  so  well,  that  you  were 
safe  in  your  prophecy.     It  was  not  luck  oi  guess  work  on  your  part. 

If  you  care  to  preserve  this  testimonial,  you  are  very  welcome  to  do  so. 

Yours  sincerely, 
(Signed)  j.   m.   BtTNDY,  Editor  Evening  Mail. 

Gen.  DE  Peyster: 

Dear  Sir:— I  remember  to  have  been  in  your  librarj'  {at  Rose  Hill,  Tivoli, 
Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,)  two  or  three  days  before  the  receipt  of  the  news  of  Vne 
French  surrender  at  Sedan,  when  you  (old  me  you  had  been  writing  an  article  for 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail  newspaper,  which  you  were  going  to  send  off  by  mail  the 
next  day,  in  which  you  said  the  destruction  of  the  French  army  was  inevitable. 
You  told  me  that  you  had  come  to  this  conclusion  from  your  knowledge  of  the  coun- 
try,  which  you  had  studied-  Yours  sincerely,  J_B— '^ 

;74 


'n^  )i/^r/i. 


THOMAS   DEWITT,  D.  D. 


HE  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Dewitt  was  born  at  Kings- 
~^^^^^^  ton,  Ulster  county,  New  York,  on  the  13th  of  Sep- 
X^'^  tember,  1791.  He  was  graduated  at  Union  Col- 
i"S  'ege,  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  in  July,  1808.  He  studied 
'"^  theology  at  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Reformed 
(Dutch)  Church,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  and  was  graduated 
-^  at  that  institution  in  the  year  1812.  He  was  licensed  to 
preach  the  gospel  by  the  Classis  of  New  Brunswick  in  June  of  the 
same  year.  He  was  ordained  to  the  holy  ministry  in  November, 
1812,  and  installed  minister  of  the  united  congregations  of  Hope- 
well and  New  Hackensack,  in  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.  He  was 
called  to  the  Collegiate  Reformed  Dutch  Church  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  and  installed  as  one  of  the  ministers  of  that  church  in 
September,  1827  ;  which  position  he  now  holds. 

The  length  of  the  ministry  of  this  venerable  servant  of  God  is, 
therefore,  fifty-nine  years — all  of  it  in  active  service.  The  duration 
of  his  present  pastorate  is  forty-four  years.  The  ministry  of  the 
Reformed  (Dutch)  Church  is  Presbyterian  in  order  ;  and  there  is,- 
therefore,  in  it  no  official  pre-eminence.  But  the  seniority  among 
the  iiastors  of  the  Church  of  New  York  has  always  been  regarded 
with  honor  ;  and  that  position  is  held  by  Dr.  Dewitt.  Moreover, 
the  true  pre-eminence  resulting  from  an  unusually  long  and  fiiith- 
ful  ministry,  from  high  Christian  cultivation,  and  from  the  beauty 
of  symmetrical  Christian  character,  belongs  to  him.  His  earlier 
and  more  vigorous  days  are  remembered  for  the  fervent  eloquence 
that  used  to  carry  his  audiences  before  it  with  the  force  of  a  tor- 
rent ;  and  that,  iadififerent  to  grace  of  gesture  or  restrictions  of 
rhetoric,  used  to  send  them  away  "  with  their  hearts  quivering  like 
the  strings  of  a  harp  swept  by  the  hand  of  a  master."  For  more 
than  half  a  century,  he  has  stood  in  the  very  front  rank  of  the  min- 

175 


THOMAS    DEW  ITT. 

isters  of  the  great  commercial  metropolis  of  the  nation,  the  object 
of  universal  respect  and  confidence. 

In  his  own  denomination,  he  is  regarded  with  reverent  affection. 
His  name  stands  at  the  head  of  the  roll  of  the  graduates  of  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  the  Church.  The  Reformed  Church  of  the 
Netherlands  planted  missions  and  churches  in  this  country  at  a 
very  early  date.  The  Island  of  Manhattan  was  discovered  by  Hud- 
son in  1609.  The  first  traders  came  from  Holland  in  1612.  At 
once  religious  services  were  established  ;  and  a  church  was  organ- 
ized in  1619.  For  more  than  a  century,  the  Reformed  (Dutch) 
Churches  in  this  counti-y  continued  in  immediate  dependence  on 
the  Church  in  Holland.  No  ministers  were  educated  here  ;  none 
were  ordained.  After  vehement  controversy,  the  right  to  ordain 
was  conceded  by  the  Mother  Church ;  and  the  complete  independent 
existence  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  this  country  was  secured,  just 
a  century  ago — viz.,  in  1771.  But  the  right  to  educate  and  ordain 
her  own  ministry  had  scarcely  come  into  her  hands,  when  the  war 
of  the  Revolution  threw  everything  into  utter  confusion.  After 
the  war,  a  professor  of  theology  was  chosen,  the  venerable  John 
Henry  Livingston,  S.  T.  D.,  to  whose  efforts  mainly,  under  God, 
the  independent  organization  of  the  Church,  in  1771,  was  due. 
This  office  he  held  along  with  his  pastorate  of  the  Church  at  New 
York.  Eventually,  he  retired  from  the  pastorate  and  retained  the 
professorship.  In  October,  1810,  he  formally  opened  the  Theolog- 
ical Seminary  at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  with  five  students  ;  of 
whom  Dr.  Dewitt  is  the  only  survivor.  This  fact  has  a  peculiar 
interest  to  the  ministry  and  people  of  the  Reformed  Church.  Dr. 
Dewitt  is  the  living  link  between  them  and  the  fathers  whom  they 
hold  in  veneration. 

Hifi  name  is  associated,  moreover,  with  the  beginning  of  the 
later  advance  and  prosperity  of  the  Church.  In  every  effort,  for 
more  than  half  a  century,  to  further  that  prosperity,  he  has  borne  a 
distinguished  part.  After  the  decease  in  1818  of  Dr.  John  Schure- 
man,  who  had  shared  with  Dr.  Livingston  the  charge  of  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  the  Church,  at  New  Brunswick,  the  profes- 
sorship of  Oriental  Literature  and  Ecclesiastical  History  in  that 
institution  was  proffered  to  Dr.  Dewitt.  This  honorable  and  in- 
fluential appointment  he  felt  constrained  to  decline.  But  in  the 
Board  of  Superintendents  of  the  Seminary  he  has  done  good  and 

faithful  service.     For  more  than  thirty  years  he  has  been  a  trustee 

176 


THOMAS    DEWITT. 

of  Ruto-ers  College.  He  is  likewise  a  trustee  of  Columbia  College. 
New  York  ;  and  from  its  early  history  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Council  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York.  His  name 
is  recorded  among  the  founders  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the 
Reformed  (Dutch)  Church  ;  and  a  scholarship  founded  by  his 
munificent  gift  bears  the  name,  and  perpetuates  the  memory,  of  a 
beloved  son.  Of  the  Board  of  Publication  of  the  Church,  he  is  not 
only  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  steadfast  friends  ;  but  has  been 
for  years  its  honored  president.  In  the  missionary  efforts  of  the 
church  he  has  rendered  eminent  service.  The  Reformed  (Dutch) 
Church  has  ever  cherished  a  missionary  spirit.  As  early  as  the 
year  1643  its  ministers  undertook  missionary  labors  among  the 
Indians.  They  anticipated  in  this  good  work  the  labors  of  the 
apostolic  Eliot.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Freeman,  minister  of  the  church  in 
Schenectady,  about  1700,  translated  into  Indian  the  morning  and 
evening  prayers  of  the  Reformed  (Dutch)  Liturgy,  a  considerable 
part  both  of  the  Old  and  of  the  New  Testament,  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, and  the  Apostles'  Creed.  These  translations  were 
printed  in  New  York  about  the  year  1713.  In  the  latter  part  of 
the  same  century,  the  Reformed  (Dutch)  Church  united  with  other 
evangelical  bodies  in  forming  the  New  York  Missionary  Society ; 
and  in  the  northern  2)art  of  the  State  co-operated  in  the  formation 
of  the  Northern  Missionary  Society.  In  the  year  1816,  the  Pres- 
byterian, Associate  Reformed,  and  Reformed  (Dutch)  Churches 
united  in  the  formation  of  the  United  Missionary  Society.  Ten 
years  afterward,  this  society  was  merged  in  the  American  Board  of 
Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions.  In  January,  1822,  the  Mis- 
sionary Society  of  the  Reformed  (Dutch)  Church  was  organized. 
Its  specific  department  was  Domestic  Missions.  In  1832,  the  Gen- 
eral Synod  constituted  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Re- 
formed (Dutch)  Church.  Of  this  board  Dr.  Dewitt  was  for  many 
years  the  corresponding  secretary.  And  with  unabated  interest, 
wise  in  counsel,  and  efficient  in  service,  he  remains  in  membership 
cf  it,  and  is  its  revered  president. 

Probably  no  minister  of  the  Reformed  (Dutch)  Church  is  more 
familiar  with  its  history  and  literature  than  Dr.  Dewitt.  His  mas- 
tery of  the  Dutch  language  has  made  the  tieasures  of  its  historic 
records  accessible  to  him.  No  branch  of  the  Reformed  Church  has 
a  nobler  history.     Motley,  in   his  magnificent    "  History  of  the 

Dutch  Rt'public,"  has  opened  to  the  admiration  of  the  world  the 

177 


THOMAS     DEWITT. 

record  of  the  grand  struggle  for  civil  and  religious  freedom,  of 
which  Grattan  and  Schiller  had  furnished  glimpses.  And  Brod- 
head,  in  his  interesting  "  Annals  of  the  Colonial  Period  of  New 
York,"  has  recorded  the  thrifty  growth  of  the  descendants  of  these 
heroes  and  martyrs  of  freedom.  The  religious  life  of  the  people 
interpenetrated  so  completely  their  civil  struggles  and  achievements 
that  it  is  impossible  to  give  the  outline  of  the  latter  without 
recording  the  development  of  the  former.  With  the  history  of 
the  Church,  both  in  the  Netherlands  and  in  this  country  Dr. 
Dewitt  is  familiar  ;  and  to  his  pen  are  due  many  interesting 
sketches  of  that  history.  The  hope  has  been  cherished  that  the 
treasures  of  research  which  his  taste  has  led  him  to  collect  might 
be  given  in  full  to  the  Church  and  the  world.  Dr.  Dewitt  has 
long  been  one  of  the  most  prominent  members,  and  officers  of  the 
New  York  Historical  Society. 

No  man  is,  by  descent,  and  culture,  and  position,  more  truly 
representative  of  his  ancestral  church  ;  and  no  man  is  in  mors 
hearty  sympathy  with  every  interest  of  evangelical  religion.  He  is 
in  the  administration  of  many  of  the  most  prominent  religious  and 
benevolent  institutions  of  the  land  ;  and  his  name  is  held  in 
honor  both  in  his  own  household  of  faith,  and  in  the  community 
of  Christ  everywhere. 

178 


THOMAS  H.  DUDLEY. 


i^'^W  ON.    THOMAS   H.    DUDLEY,  late   United  States 
X>(*^^^    Consul  at  Liverpool,  is  a  man,  the  history  of  whose 


Kt'Cl'l'^W         life  and  labors  cannot  be  recorded  faithfully  in  a  sim 

1 '^^€^^1   pie  sketch.     It  is  said  that  the  most  fitting  tribute  in 

^(^fYTj      '    honor  of  a  public  man  is  a  faithful  record  of  his  public 

^'^^  acts.     Such    a  record  of  the  public   acte  of   Mr.   Dudley 

'^  -^  would  show  him  to  be  in  the  highest  degi-ee  worthy  of  the 

honor  and  gratitude  of  his  countrymen.     But  it  is  the  object  of  this 

sketch  to  give  only  an  outline  of  his  life  and  work ;  it  must  be  left 

for  history  to  pay  the  proper  tribute  to  his  worth. 

The  active  life  of  Mr.  Dudley  has  been  so  intimately  associated 
with  the  agitation  and  strife  that  preceded  and  led  to  the  rebellion, 
and  so  interwoven  with  the  great  events  of  the  war  that  it  is  difficult 
to  think  or  write  of  him,  except  in  connection  with  them.  But  yet, 
back  of  all  this,  is  the  gentleman  of  excellent  private  character  and 
disposition  ;  the  kind  neighbor  and  good  citizen  ;  the  close  student, 
of  men  as  well  as  of  books;  the  able  and  successful  professional 
man.  Upon  such  foundations  have  been  built  the  eminent  career  to 
be  here  briefly  related. 

Mr.  Dudley  was  bom  in  the  township  of  Evesham,  Burlington 
County,  New  Jersey,  October  9th,  1819.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
and  he  was  trained  for  the  same  calling,  the  farm  seeming  to  the 
parents  to  be  the  natural  place  for  him.  His  father  died  when  he 
was  an  infant,  and  he  was  left  with  his  mother,  to  whose  care  and 
culture  he  regards  his  success  in  life.  He  obtained  the  best  edu- 
cation that  could  be  obtained  in  that  part  of  the  country,  but  it  was 
little  to  boast  of,  even  as  that  of  a  common  school,  for  the  educa- 
tional advantages  of  the  day  were  very  limited.  He  remained  at 
home  until  nearly  twenty-one  years  of  age ;  but,  though  having  few 
educational  privileges,  the  years  had  been  well  improved  by  private 

179 


THOMAS    H.     DUDLEY. 

reading  and  study.  He  had  formed  an  inclination  for  the  study  of 
the  law,  and  had  prepared  himself  to  enter  regulai-ly  upon  it  Ac- 
cordingly, when  of  age,  he  entered  the  law  ofiice  of  Mr.  Jeffers,  in 
the  City  of  Camden,  N.  J.,  as  a  student.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  1845,  and  immediately  commenced  practice  in  the  Supreme 
Courts  of  the  State.  Thorough  study,  close  observation,  and  quick 
perceptions,  added  to  good  abilities,  soon  brought  him  into  prcim- 
inence  in  the  profession  which  he  had  chosen.  Success  followed 
swiftly  upon  his  entering  the  field,  and  in  a  very  few  years  the  young 
lawyer  enjoyed  an  exceedingly  desirable  and  lucrative  practice.  It 
was  his  good  fortune,  as  it  was  the  natural  consequence  of  integrity 
and  fine  abilitj',  to  possess  the  high  esteem  and  confidence  of  the 
best  men  of  the  State  in  the  legal  profession,  as  well  as  out  of  it. 

In  politics  Mr.  Dudley  is  a  Republican.  He  was  formerly  a 
Whig,  and  acted  with  that  party  up  to  the  time  of  the  organization 
of  the  Republican  party,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders  and 
chief  promoters.  An  active  temperament  led  him,  in  all  pursuits,  to 
engage  in  them  with  great  zeal ;  and  perceiving  the  issue  to  which 
the  course  of  events  was  leading  the  nation,  and  believing  that  the 
success  of  the  new  party  was  essential  to  the  welfare  of  the  country, 
he  was  impelled  to  throw  his  whole  strength  into  the  work  of  organ- 
izing, developing,  and  disciplining  the  Republican  party. 

In  1860,  he  was  chosen  aS  one  of  the  Senatorial  delegates  from 
the  State  at  large  in  the  memorable  Convention  at  Chicago,  which 
nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  for  President.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  committee  which  framed  the  platform  adopted  by 
that  Convention,  and  it  was  he  who  introduced  the  plank  favor- 
ing incidental  protection  to  American  manufactui-es,  and  was 
mainly  instrumental  in  carrying  it  through  the  Convention.  He 
supported  Mr.  Lincoln  as  a  candidate  for  nomination,  in  op- 
position to  Mr.  Seward,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  bringing  about 
that  nomination. 

The  mannei-  in  which  this  nomination  was  effected,  and  Mr.  Dud- 
ley's part  therein,  is  thus  related  at  length  by  Charles  P.  Smith,  in 
Beecher's  (Trenton)  Magazine.  As  these  are  facts  of  historic  interest, 
we  give  the  account  in  full : 

The  Nomination  of  Lincoln. 

As  a  member  of  the  "Opposition  State  Executive  Committee,"  I  signed  a  call 
for  a  State  Convention,  to  be  held  in  Trenton,  on  the  8th  of  March,  1860,  for  the 
purpose  of  selecting  delegates  to   the  National  Convention  at  Chicago.      At  that 

180 


THOMAS     H.      DTDLET. 

period  thert  was  a  respectable  and  extremely  active  portion  oi'  the  party  in  East 
Jersey  in  fovor  of  nominating  Mr.  Seward  for  the  Presidency,  and  seeking  to  secure 
for  him  the  vote  of  this  State  in  Convention,  Aside  from  the  Presidential  question, 
it  was  highly  important  that  we  achieve  FAiccese  in  our  own  State,  aud  this,  I  felt 
confident,  could  not  be  accomplished  with  Mr.  Seward  as  our  Presidential  candi- 
date. It  occurred  to  me  that  our  proper  course  would  be  to  hold  the  vote  of  the 
State  on  Mr.  Dayton,  and  possibly  give  him  the  nomination.  At  all  events,  it 
might  at  least  aid  in  nominating  a  candidate  with  whom  success  in  this  State  was 
possible.  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Dudley  came  into  the  Supreme  Court  office  one  day  on 
professional  business,  and  I  called  his  attention  to  what  I  deemed  the  unfortuuute 
tendency  of  affairs.  He  coincided  with  me  in  opinion,  but  argued  that  the  loss  ct 
the  State  under  the  circumstances  was  unavoidable — at  least  he  perceived  no 
resource.  I  suggested  that  we  start  a  candidate  in  our  own  State,  to  hold  the  vote, 
and  named  Hon.  Wm.  L.  Dayton.  Mr.  Dudley,  after  some  consideration,  assented. 
I  then  advised  holding  a  caucus  of  leading  men  of  the  party  to  give  force  to  the 
movement,  whereupon  Mr.  Dudley  agreed  to  notify  such  gentlemen  in  the  Fii'st 
Congressional  District  as  he  might  deem  proper,  and  I  was  to  summon  from  the 
State  at  large.  We  thus  assembled  some  sixty  prominent  Jerseymen  at  Jones' 
Hotel,  Chestnut  street,  Philadelphia.  I  also  spent  considerable  time  in  securing  the 
attendance  of  a  number  of  active  Philadelphia  Republican  politicians.  My  object 
was  to  induce  them  to  join  in  the  movement ;  but  they  prefen-ed  Mr.  Cameron.  As 
far  as  their  co-operation  was  concerned,  tlie  movement  was  without  success. 
Abraham  Browning,  Esq.,  of  Camden,  presided  at  the  meeting  ;  and,  after  consider- 
able discussion,  in 'which  Mr.  Dudley  took  by  far  the  most  prominent  part,  the  Jer- 
seymen present  uuanimou.sly  determined  to  use  their  best  efforts  to  secure  delegates 
in  favor  of  Mr.  Dayton.  The  effect  of  this  meeting  was  fully  manifested  in  the 
State  Conveniion.  But  a  small  moiety  of  the  East  Jereey  delegates  were  for  Mr. 
Seward,  while  the  large  majority  were  decidedly  for  Mr.  Dayton.  Mr.  Dndley  was 
selected  as  a  delegate  from  the  First  District,  aud  at  Chicago  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  active  members  of  the  New  Jersey  delegation,  exercising  all  neces- 
sary influence  in  holding  the  vote  of  his  State  for  Mr.  Dayton  until  he  was  able  to 
cast  it  for  Mr.  Lincoln,  aud  practically  give  him  the  nomination. 

It  was  conceded  early  in  the  session  of  the  Convention  that  there  were  four 
doubtful  States — New  Jersey,  Indiana,  Hliuois,  and  Pennsylvania  ;  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  carry  at  least  two  of  these  States  in  order  to  nominate  a  candidate  other 
than  Mr.  Seward.  New  Jersey  presented  Mr.  Dayton,  Pennsylvania  Mr.  Cameron, 
and  Indiana  and  Illinois  Mr.  Lincoln.  Mr.  Seward  was  the  first  choice  of  a 
majority  of  the  New  England  States,  but  the  event  disclosed  that  they  preferred  the 
triumph  of  principle  to  the  success  of  their  favorite.  A  committee  of  these  States, 
headt-d  by  Ex-Governor  Andrew,  waited  upon  the  New  Jersey  delegation  at  their 
rooms,  and  declared  that  Mr.  Seward  was  their  choice,  but  if  he  could  not  carry 
the  doubtful  States,  they  were  willing  to  go  for  any  one  who  could,  but  added  : 
"  Gentlemen,  you  see  our  difficulty  ;  you  are  not  agreed  among  j'ourselves,  but  pre- 
sent three  different  candidates.  Now,  if  you  will  unite  upon  some  one  man  who 
can  carry  them,  then  we  will  give  him  enough  votes  in  the  Convention  to  nominate 
him.  If  you  continue  divided,  we  shall  go  into  the  Convention  and  vote  for  Mr. 
Seward,  our  first  choice."  It  was  narrowed  down  to  this  :  the  four  doubtful  States 
must  unite  upon  a  candidate,  or  Mr.  Seward  would  be  nominated.  The  Convention 
Assembled  Wednesday  morning,  without  change  in  this  state  of  affairs.  Mr, 
Dudley  was  assigned  a  place  on  the  committee  to  frame  a  platform,  and  kept  busy 


THOMAS     H.     DUDLEY. 

until  Thursday  noon.  At  that  time  the  four  doubtful  States  assembled  at  Cameron 
Hall  to  endeavor  to  unite  upon  some  person.  Ex-Governor  Keeder  presided.  It 
was  a  noisy  assemblage,  and  it  very  soon  became  evident  that  nothing  eould  be 
accomplished  as  affairs  then  stood  Mr.  Dudley  then  proposed  to  Mr.  Judd,  of 
Illinois,  that  the  matter  should  be  referred  to  a  committee  of  three  from  each  of  the 
four  States.  He  made  a  motion  to  this  effect,  which  was  carried.  Among  those 
appointed  were  Judge  David  Davis,  Caleb  B.  Smith,  David  Wilmot,  and  William  B. 
Mann,  of  Pennsylvania.  On  the  part  of  New  Jersey,  Judge  Ephraim  Marsh,  Hon. 
P.  T.  Frelinghuysen,  and  Mr.  Dudley,  The  committee  met  at  six  o'clock  in  Mr. 
Wilmot's  room,  and  were  in  session  until  nearly  ten  p.m.  before  anything  was  accom- 
plished. At  that  time  it  seemed  that  an  avljoumment  would  be  carried  without 
arriving  at  an  understanding.  The  time  had  been  consumed  in  talljing,  and  trying 
to  persuade  each  other  that  their  favorite  candidates  were  the  most  availalile,  and 
best  qualified.  It  was  then  that  Mr.  Grteley  went  to  the  door,  and  finding  no 
agreement  had  been  reached,  telegraphed  to  the  Tribune  that  Mr.  Seward  would  cer- 
tainly be  nominated  the  ntxt  morning  as  the  Kepublican  candidate. 

Finding  that  the  committee  was  about  to  separate  without  achieving  any 
result,  Mr.  Dudley  took  the  floor,  and  proposed  that  it  should  be  ascertained 
which  one  of  the  three  candidates  had  the  greatest  actual  strength  before  the  Con- 
vention, and  could  carey  the  greatest  number  of  delegates  from  the  four  States  in 
the  event  of  dropping  the  other  two.  Judge  Davis  stated  as  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  vote 
on  the  first  ballot,  and  the  probable  vote  of  the  Illinois  delegates,  in  the  event  of 
Mr.  Lincoln  being  dropped  — that  is,  how  they  would  break.  The  committee  from 
Indiana  and  Pennsylvania  also  reported  how  the  votes  of  their  States  would  be  east 
if  Li)icoln  and  Cameron  were  both  dropped.  The  New  Jer,«ey  committee  made  a 
similar  statement  as  to  the  strength  ot  Judge  Dayton.  It  was  understood  that  a 
portion  of  the  New  Jersey  delegates  would  drop  Mr.  Dayton  after  giving  him  a  com- 
plimentary vote,  and  go  for  Mr.  Seward.  This  examination  revealed  the  fact  that 
of  the  three  candidates  Mr.  Lincoln  was  the  strongest.  Mr.  Dudley  then  proposed 
to  the  Pennsylvania  committee  that  for  the  general  good  and  success  of  the  party, 
they  should  give  up  their  candidates,  and  unite  upon  Mr.  Lincoln.  After  some  dis- 
cussion, Mr.  Dudley's  proposition  was  agreed  to,  and  a  programme  arranged  to 
carry  into  execution.  A  meeting  of  the  Dayton  delegates  from  New  Jersey  was 
immediately  called  at  James  T.  Sherman's  room,  at  one  o'clock  that  night ;  most  of 
the  delegates  who  sustained  him  were  present.  Judge  Marsh  and  Mr.  Freling- 
huysen, evidently  not  believing  it  possible  to  carry  out  the  plan,  did  not  attend  the 
meeting  ;  thus  Mr.  Dudley  was  the  only  one  from  the  committee  present.  He 
explained  what  had  been  accomplished,  and  after  talking  the  matter  over,  they 
approved  his  action.  It  was  understood  that  Judge  Dayton  was  to  receive  one  or 
more  complimentary  votes,  and  then  the  strength  of  the  delegation  to  be  thrown  for 
Mr.  Lincoln.  It  was  also  arranged  that  Mr.  Dudley  was  to  lead  off  in  voting  for 
Mr.  Lincoln,  and  then  they  were  to  follow.  The  Pennsylvania  delegation  likewise 
adopted  the  plan,  iirst  giving  Mr.  Cameron  a  complimentary  vote.  The  agreement 
of  the  committee  was  not  generally  known  the  next  morning  when  the  Convention 
assembled.  On  the  first  ballot,  the  entire  New  Jersey  delegation  voted  Mr.  Dayton; 
the  next,  that  portion  who  favored  Mr.  Seward,  voted  for  him;  while  the  majority 
voted  for  Mr.  Dayton.  When  New  Jtrsey  was  called  on  the  third  ballot,  Mr.  Dud- 
ley stated  that  he  should  vote  for  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  was  immediately  followed  by 
all  the  New  Jersey  delegates  save  one.  The  result  is  known.  New  England  did 
what  she  promised,  and  Mr.  Lincoln  was  nominated.     It  was  the  action  of  the  com- 

182 


THOMAS     H .     DUDLEY. 

mittee  from  the  four  doubtful  States  which  undoubtedly  secured  Mr.  Liucoln's 
nomination;  but  for  this  Mr.  Seward  would  have  been  nominated,  and,  there  is  little 
doubt,  just  as  surely  been  defeated. 

This  is  a  plain  uarratire  of  the  manner  in  which  the  nomination  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  brought  about.  It  cannot  be  disguised  that,  had  it  not  been  for  Mr. 
Dudley's  energy  and  tact  in  the  committee  of  doubtful  States,  the  nation  in  the 
emergency  which  so  soon  followed  would  not  have  had  the  service  of  that  great  and 
good  man  at  the  helm. 

Mr.  Lincoln  recognized  his  obligations  to  Mr.  Dayton's  friends  by  nominating 
that  honored  citizen  to  the  important  position  of  Minister  to  France.  I  wrote  to 
Mr.  Lincoln  after  his  inauguration,  stating  fully  Mr.  Dudley's  action  in  the  Conven- 
tion, and  asking  his  appointment  as  Consul  to  Livei-jjool.  Others  likewise  urged 
his  claims,  and  he  was  appointed  to  the  position,  where  his  eminent  services  during 
the  rebellion  were  scarcely  inferior  to  those  rendered  by  our  Minister  at  the  Court 
of  St.  James. 

Altliough  Mr.  Dudley  had  been  for  many  years  remarkably 
active  in  jDolitics,  he  had,  up  to  this  time,  persistently  refused 
all  favors  for  himself  He  had  labored  to  fulfill  the  duty  a 
citizen  owes  his  country,  and  desired  no  preferment  After  the  elec- 
tion in  1860,  at  the  clo3e  of  an  interview  with  the  President  elect,  in 
consideration  of  Mr.  Dudley's  services  to  the  party  which  had 
elected  him,  Mr.  Lincoln  said  :  "  Mr.  Dudley,  is  there  anything  I  can 
do  for  you — is  there  an  ofiice  you  will  take?  If  there  is,  name  it, 
and  you  shall  have  it."  The  reply  was :  "  Mr.  Lincoln,  there  is  not 
an  of&ce  in  your  gift  that  I  would  accept ;  I  cannot  afibrd  to  leave 
my  profession  ;  I  do  not  want  ofSce." 

Mr.  Dudley  was  opposed  to  human  slavery  in  every  form,  be- 
lieving it  to  be  radically  wrong  to  hold  any  human  being  in  bond- 
age. But,  inasmuch  as  slavery  existed  in  most  of  the  States  at  the 
time  of  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution,  he  regarded  that 
instrument  as  giving  an  implied  sanction  to  the  institution  as  it  then 
existed,  and  was  willing  to  tolerate  it  in  such  of  those  Southern 
States  as  saw  proper  to  continue  it,  but  was  opposed  to  any  exten- 
sion or  increase  of  the  Slave  power.  He  held  that  no  one  had  the 
right  to  introduce  slavery  in  any  of  the  Territories  of  the  United 
States,  or  to  carry  a  slave  into  any  free  State  or  Territory,  and  that 
all  and  any  such  slaves  so  taken  in  any  free  State  or  Tenitory  be- 
came instantly  free.  He  opposed  all  compromises,  because  it  was  evi- 
dent that,  no  matter  what  was  done  by  the  opponents  of  slavery,  the 
South  would  one  day  rise  in  armed  resistance  to  all  opposition  to 
their  schemes.  Compromise  would  simply  postpone  the  evil  day, 
and  it  was  Mr.  Dudley's  opinion  that,  it  being  inevitable,  the  sooner 

183 


THOMAS     H.      DUDLEY. 

it  came  the  better  it  would  be  for  the  countiy.  If  the  question  were 
left  for  another  generation  to  finally  settle,  he  feared  it  would  find 
the  moral  sense  of  the  nation  so  weakened  that  the  slave  power 
could  not  be  successfully  resisted.  His  faith  in  the  integrity  of  the 
present  generation  was  fully  justified  when  the  collision  at  length 
occurred.  As  soon  as  the  South  look  up  arms,  Mr.  Dudley  was  in 
favor  of  striking  at  once  at  the  cause  of  the  Rebellion,  by  declaring 
the  slaves  all  free. 

The  severe  mental  and  physical  labor  required  by  tbe  nature  of 
his  profession,  added  to  the  work  and  excitement  of  the  political 
campaign  of  1860,  had  injured  his  health,  and  in  the  early  part  of 
1861.  Mr.  Dudley  was  jDrostrated  by  illness.  When  partially  recov- 
ered, bis  physicians  recommended  change  of  climate  as  essential  to 
perfect  restoration.  Accordingly,  in  June  of  the  same  year  he 
sailed  for  Europe.  While  stopping  in  Paris,  his  health  being  much 
improved,  Mr.  Dudley  was  requested  by  the  American  Minister  to 
France,  Mr.  Dayton,  to  talce  charge  of  the  office  of  Consul  at  Paris, 
until  the  pleasure  of  the  Government  could  be  ascertained  in  regard 
to  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  jDeremptory  removal  of  Mr.  Spencer, 
who  was  suspected  of  being  in  sympathy  with  the  Confederacy.  He 
complied  with  the  request,  and  officiated  until  the  an-ival  of  Mr. 
Bigelow,  Spencei-'s  successor,  afterwards  Minister  to  France. 

Speaking  of  this  appointment,  the  Philadelphia  Evening  Journal, 
of  July  31st,  1861,  said : 

"  We  congratulate  the  gentleman  on  his  appointment,  and  feel 
confident  our  Government  could  have  no  abler  or  more  efficient  rep- 
resentative. Mr.  Dudley  has  been  long  recognized  as  one  of  the 
soundest  and  most  consummate  of  New  Jersey's  distinguished  jur- 
ists, and  was,  in  the  last  campaign,  an  earnest  and  active  advocate  of 
Republican  principles.  Though  he  will  be  missed  in  the  scene  of 
his  former  successful  labors,  we  are  sure  that  in  the  field  of  duty  to 
which  he  has  been  unsolicitedly  called,  his  services  will  be  equally 
valuable,  and  in  the  science  of  diplomacy  prove  as  able  as  in  his 
character  as  a  lawyer." 

After  being  relieved  from  duty  there,  Mr.  Dudley  returned  home, 

intending  to  resume  the  practice  of  his  profession  ;  but  in  this  he  was 

to  be  disappointed,  for  the  old  malady  laid  hold  upon  him  a  second 

time,  and  the  physicians  advised  residence  abroad  as  the  only  means 

of  recovery.     Business  had  to  be  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  health. 

At  this  juncture  in  October,  1861,  Mr.  Dudley's  fi"iends  asked  in  his 

184 


THOMAS     H.     DUDLEY. 


behalf,  and  he  received  the  appointment  of  Consul  at  Liverpool.  He 
arrived  at  Liverpool,  accompanied  by  his  family,  in  November,  and 
assumed  the  office  of  Consul  on  the  22d  of  that  mouth. 

TliC  most  important  work  of  Mr.  Dudley's  life  was  now  before 
him.  He  was  to  serve  his  Government  through  a  great  war,  and  in 
a  country  where  those  who  should  serve  faithfully  the  cause  of  the 
Union  would  be  exposed  to  opposition,  obloquy,  and  even  danger. 
His  task  required  great  experience,  sagacity,  and  enei-gy. 

As  regards  the  ordinary  aifairs  of  the  Consulate,  Mr.  Dudley 
found  them  in  a  very  irregular  condition.  Its  financial  concerns 
were  unsatisfactory  to  the  Government,  and  one  of  the  first  dis- 
patches from  the  Department  of  State  to  the  new  Consul  was  in 
respect  to  a  more  careful  and  economical  administration  of  the  office 
than  had  previou.sly  been  practiced.  But  there  was  little  need  of  ex- 
hortation on  this  point,  for  Mr.  Dudley  had  already  begun  in  the 
direction  indicated,  and  it  appeared  at  the  end  of  eleven  years  that 
instead  of  the  Government  having  had  to  supply  the  Liverpool  Con- 
sulate with  money,  that  office  had  accounted  to  the  Government  for 
more  than  half  a  million  dollars. 

The  wrongs  done  to  American  seamen  in  the  port  of  Liverpool, 
through  the  cruelty  of  ship's  officers  and  the  avarice  of  shipping 
agents  and  sailor-boarding-house  keepers,  were  as  notorious  as 
wicked,  and  yet  for  years  there  had  been  little  done  by  the  American 
representative  to  protect  American  seamen.  Mr.  Dudley  immedi- 
ately recognized  this  as  a  most  important  department  of  his  official 
duty,  and  he  laid  a  strong  hand  upon  these  scandalous  abuses. 
Courage  was  required  to  set  the  law  in  operation,  for  those  interested 
in  opposing  it  wei-e  powerful  and  unscrupulous ;  but  it  was  done 
effectually.  Never  before  at  Liverpool  did  American  sailors  enjoy 
so  great  immunity. 

Meanwhile  the  war  progressed ;  treachery  at  home  and  official 
bad  faith  on  the  part  of  neutral  nations  combined  to  harass  the 
United  States  Government.  The  best  service  of  every  one  of  its 
officers  abroad  was  needed,  and  how  different  would  have  been  the 
result  of  many  issues  between  our  own  and  foreign  Governments 
had  each  in  his  place  been  as  faithful  as  Consul  Dudley.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  struggle,  a  secret  commission  was  sent  to  EnglaTid,  to 
make  an  examination  into  the  true  state  of  things  there  with  relation 
to  the  war.  It  was  found  necessary  by  this  Commission  to  place 
some  one  in  a  position  to  oversee  and  direct  all  the  Consulates  in  the 


185 


THOMAS     H.     DUDLEY 

kingdom,  exempting  that  of  London.  Mr.  Dudley  was  so  conspicu- 
ous for  his  zeal  and  afficiency  that  he  was  requested  to  tal^e  the 
additional  responsibility,  and  he  accepted  the  ti-ust.  This  proceed- 
ing afterwards  proved  of  immense  value  to  the  United  States,  for 
the  Consul  at  Liverpool  was  thus  enabled  to  gather  information 
regarding  Eebel  operations  and  plans  which  could  never  otherwise 
have  been  obtained.  New  vigor  was  in  this  manner  also  imparted 
to  the  subordinate  offices. 

Before  Mr.  Dudley's  arrival  at  Liverpool,  the  Eebel  ships,  for 
whose  escape  from  British  waters  England  has  had  to  sufler  an 
adverse  judgment  from  the  Geneva  Tribunal,  had  been  conti-acted 
for,  and  two  of  them,  the  Florida  (Oreto)  and  the  Alahavia  (No.  290), 
were  in  the  course  of  construction.  It  was  soon  evident  for  what 
purpose  they  were  intended,  and  the  work  of  obtaining  proofs  of 
well  understood  facts  lay  with  the  American  Consul.  Mr.  Dudley 
labored  to  this  end  indefatigably,  employing  every  means  possible 
to  obtain  evidence  which  would  either  compel  the  British  Govern- 
ment to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  vessels  referred  to,  or  make  them 
responsible  to  the  United  States  for  breach  of  neutral  obligations. 
The  formidable  fclios  of  evidence  embraced  in  the  American  case 
laid  before  the  Court  of  Arbitration  at  Geneva  tell  how  faithfully^ 
intelligently  and  thoroughly  Mr.  Dudley  performed  his  duty  in  this 
respect.  The  British  Goveinment  heeded  neither  evidence  nor 
remonstrances  in  the  case  of  the  Eebel  ships,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  there  would  never  have  come  a  day  of  reckoning,  as  there  did, 
had  it  not  been  for  Mr.  Dudley's  skill  and  assiduity.  The  Alexandra 
was  seized  upon  evidence  furnished  by  him,  as  were  also  the  two 
iron-clad  rams  built  by  the  Lairds.  The  steamer  Pampero,  built  by 
James  and  George  Thomson,  of  Glasgow,  for  the  Confederates,  was 
discovered  by  Mr.  Dudley,  and,  through  his  vigilance,  seized  and 
finally  condemned  by  the  Scotch  court.  This  seizure  and  condemna- 
tion caused  the  Confederacy  to  sell  to  the  Danish  Government  an 
immense  iron-clad  steamer,  called  the  Santa  Maria,  then  being 
built  for  the  South  by  the  same  firm.  If  other  proof  were 
wanting  of  the  value  and  completeness  of  what  he  accomplished 
in  Liverpool  dm-ing  the  war,  it  would  be  sufiicient  that  the  enemies 
of  the  Union  hissed  and  hooted  him  upon  the  streets  of  that  city, 
lampooned  and  threatened  him  in  the  daily  press,  devised  all  manner 
of  means  for  securing  his  removal,  and  in  every  way  showed  their 
hatred  and  rage. 

°  186 


THOMAS     H.     DUDLEY. 

In  November,  1868,  Mr.  Dudley  returned  to  the  United  States 
on  a  short  visit,  which  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  grand  banquet, 
given  in  his  honor  by  the  prominent  citizens  of  his  Stata  We  have 
only  space  here  for  the  following  extract  of  a  newspaper  mention  of 
the  event : — 

Banquet  in  Hokoe  of  Thomas  H.  Dudley,  Esq. 

The  temporary  retiirn  of  Hon.  Thomas  H.  Dudley,  our  Consul  at  Liverpool,  to 
his  native  State,  was  made  the  occasion  by  members  of  the  bar,  and  bis  many  per- 
sonal and  political  friends,  for  a  grand  reception  banquet  on  Wednesday  evening 
last.  The  compliment  was  tendered  him  over  the  signatmes  of  many  of  the  most 
distinguished  gentlemen  of  the  State  ;  and  the  arrangements  were  placed  in  charge 
of  a  committee  who  seem  to  have  left  nothing  to  be  desbed. 

Mr.  Dudley  was  appointed  to  his  important  position  by  Jlr.  Lincoln,  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  rebellion,  and  with  a  brief  interruption,  has  remained  at  his 
post  and  duty  until  this  time.  Probably  a  more  difficTilt  position  than  this  has  not 
been  occupied  by  any  other  foreign  agent  of  our  Government.  Located  at  the  great 
British  seaport  of  Liverpool,  where  the  entire  population  were  as  hostile  to  our 
cause  as  that  of  South  Carolina,  the  headquarters  of  blockade  runners,  and  piratical 
Alabamas,  with  no  sympathy  or  co-operation,  beset  with  spies  and  informers, 
tabooed  by  the  blockade  running  and  tory  aristocracy,  Mr.  Dudlej',  by  unceasing 
effort,  and  indomitable  pluck,  did  more  to  close  the  source  of  rebel  supplies,  prevent 
the  fitting  out  ot  rebel  cruisers,  and,  incidentally,  the  ultimate  armed  inlerference 
of  Great  Britain  and  France  in  our  domestic  war,  than  any  other  man.  It  is  a  u]at- 
ter  beyond  dispute,  that  of  sixteen  armed  or  armor-clad  vessels  fitted  out  in  British 
ports  to  prey  upon  our  commerce,  Mr.  Dudley,  by  his  unsleeping  vigilance,  re- 
strained all  but  four,  and  these  only  escaped  through  the  negligence  or  design  of 
the  British  Government  in  not  heeding  his  warning.  Not  only  in  this,  but  a  thou- 
sand  different  ways  was  he  the  active  and  efficient  agent  of  our  country  during  the 
war  for  the  life  of  the  nation. 

But  important  as  were  his  services  abroad,  in  the  eyes  of  the  patriot,  they  were 
not  less  important  at  home.  It  is  a  matter  susceptible  of  abundant  proof,  (but  not 
brought  forward  at  the  banquet,)  that,  under  Heaven,  the  country  is  indebted  to 
Thomas  H.  Dudley  for  the  nomination  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  Had  Mr.  Dudley  not 
have  performed  the  important  duties  which  it  is  known  he  did  perform  at  Chicago, 
some  other  gentleman  would  have  been  the  Republican  Presidential  candidate 
in  1860. 

His  services  in  this  respect  have  not  been  forgotten  :  and  when  it  was  understood 
he  was  about  to  leave  for  the  resumption  of  his  laborious  but  honorable  duties,  the 
representative  men  of  New  Jersey  gathered  together  to  wreath  him  with  the  honors 
he  has  so  nobly  won.  Such  an  array  of  talent  and  influence  has  but  seldom  assem- 
bled around  any  festive  board,  and,  in  this  State,  has  never  on  any  similar  occasion 
been  excelled. 

In  1871,  ten  years  after  his  appointment,  Mr.  Dudley  returned  to 
the  United  States,  and  tendered  his  resignation  as  Consul.  But  he 
was  urged  by  the  Goveiyiment  to  reconsider  the  matter,  as  his  assist- 
ance was  greatly  needed  in  England  in  the  preparation  and  comple- 

187 


T  H  O  ir  A  S     H  .     DUDLEY. 

tion  of  evidence  to  be  ii.sed  in  the  trial  of  the  Alabama  Claims. 
His  knowledge  of  the  details  of  all  the  transactions  connected  with 
these  claims  could  not  be  dispensed  with  in  this  important  business, 
and  upon  the  advice  of  friends,  he  consented  to  return  and  see  the 
end  of  the  w  rk  which  he  had  commenced.  Mr.  Edward  Dudley, 
son  of  Mr.  Dudley,  was  appointed  Yice-Consul,  to  conduct  the  im- 
mediate business  of  the  Consulate,  while  the  Consul  was  engaged  in 
the  new  field  of  labor  assigned  him.  Mr.  Dudley  finally  returned 
home  in  November,  1872,  and  presented  his  resignation  to  the  Gov- 
ernment, to  take  effect  as  soon  as  his  successor  could  be  apjwinted, 
which  occurred  in  the  following  month. 

The  Liverpool  Daily  Post,  September  -ith,  ls72,  pays  him   this 

tribute : 

The  Ketiking  American  Consuij. 

A  Liverpool  gentleman  last  night,  out  of  the  fullness  of  his  heart — always  open  to 
good  sympathies— took  upon  himself  the  pleasing  office  of  expressing  to  Mr.  Dudley, 
who  is  about  to  leave  Liverpool,  the  feelings  with  which  his  course  as  American  Con- 
sul is  regarded  by  those  who  have  observed  its  tenor.  It  is  impossible  to  regard 
such  an  event  as  Mr.  Dudley's  departure  without  reflecting,'  on  the  remarkable  con- 
trast that  is  presented  between  the  state  of  things  in  which  Mr.  Dudley  resigns  his 
office  and  that  in  which  he  undertook  it.  He  left  his  country  "with  four  millions  of 
human  beings  held  in  bondage,"  and  he  returns  to  it  when  there  is  not  a  slave  upon 
its  territory,  nor  a  man,  woman,  or  child  who  does  not  enjoy  a  liberty  as  perfect  as 
that  of  the  air  they  breathe.  The  aspect  of  Liverpool  society  in  reference  to  the 
United  States  presents  almost  as  great  a  contrast.  Within  two  or  three  days  after  Mr. 
Dudley's  arrival  in  Liverpool  the  Trent  difficulty  broke  out.  There  are  few  among 
us  who  do  not  remember  the  excitement  which  this  produced;  the  irritated  state  of 
feeling  upon  which  the  news  of  the  seizure  of  Mnsou  and  SlideU  fell,  like  sparks  up- 
on tinder;  and  the  strong  disposition  shown,  especially  amongst  the  higher  and  mer- 
cantile classes,  to  favor,  by  every  means  short  of  actual  belligerency,  the  cause  of 
the  Southern  Confederation.  We  look  Viack  now  upon  this  period  with  eyes  greatly 
clarified  by  the  course  of  subsequent  events.  These  events  were  so  necessarily 
sequent  upon  the  conditions  of  the  great  conflict  which  was  then  commencing  that  it 
seemed  to  some  who  spoke  otit  at  that  time  imijossible  to  anticipate  any  other  results; 
but  this  was  not  the  general  feeling.  .A.nd  an  American  Consul,  bound  by  his  posi- 
tion to  perform  difficult  duties,  to  make  a  strong  stand  on  behalf  of  his  country,  and 
to  resist  every  attempt,  whether  direct  or  insidious,  to  aid  that  great  country's  ene- 
n'ies,  held  no  enviable  position.  None  that  have  known  Mr.  Dudley  wiU  hesitate  to 
confess  that  throughout  the  embarrassing  period  of  the  civil  war,  while  his  firmness 
E.nd  shrewdness  were  continually  exhibited  on  behalf  of  his  country,  he  was  found 
tonstantly  courteous  and  jnst.  No  one  brought  into  communication  with  him  ever 
left  him  without  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  his  motives  and  as  far  as  it  was  possi- 
ble for  persons  approaching  difficulties  from  opposite  points  of  view  to  understand 
each  other,  all  who  had  business  with  the  American  consulate,  even  in  the  most 
difficult  period  of  Mr.  Dudley's  service,  found  that  to  transact  it  was  to  deal  with  a 
true  gentleman,  and  one  who  was  both  a  man  of  busine.^  and  a  statesman. 

All  tlie  untoward  circumstances  which  rendered  that  period  so  trying  have  now 

1S8 


THOMAS     H .     DUDLEY. 

passed  away,  aud  oue  scarcely  meets  in  any  society  an  avowed  partisan  of  the  Con- 
federacy which  once  looked  so  formidable.  As  a  matter  of  partisan  politics,  one 
would  not  revive  the  recollection  of  a  time  when  the  American  Civil  War  was  a  great 
ground  of  polemical  diiference:  but  much  more  was  involved  in  the  conflict  than  any 
mere  partisanship;  and  to  appreciate  for  a  moment  the  intense  feeling  of  satisfaction 
with  which  a  politician  of  Mr.  Dudley's  calibre  returns  to  America  now  that  the  great 
work  of  President  Lincoln  is  consolidated  is  to  understand  that  the  principles  at 
stake  in  the  war  were  of  permanent  importance,  aud  may  well  be  regarded  even  now 
with  interest  and  enthusiasm.  There  is  much  to  be  thankful  for  in  the  present  state 
of  the  English  mind  as  to  American  politics.  It  is  a  consolatory  thing  to  reflect  that 
the  higher  classes  in  this  country  have  been  brought,  if  only  by  the  teachings  of  suc- 
cess, back  again  to  that  faith  in  the  doctrines  and  jiractice  of  freedom  which  wavered 
so  sadly  during  the  civil  war.  Mr,  Dudley's  return  to  America  will  make  many  re- 
flect wisely  ui^on  this  subject  who  may  hitherto  have  given  it  little  consideration; 
while  his  personal  qualities  and  the  recollection  of  many  pleasing  dealings  with  him, 
even  in  the  most  unpleasant  times,  will  secure  for  him  from  the  commercial  com- 
munity of  Liverpool  very  good  wishes  and  a  permanent  interest  in  his  public  career. 

His  return  home  was  characterized  by  many  demonstrations  of 
welcome  and  hearty  appreciation.  At  a  public  reception  given  to 
Secretary  Eobeson,  the  following  resolutions,  read  by  Samuel  H. 
Grey,  Esq.,  were  unanimously  adopted,  amid  loud  cheers  and  the 
most  marked  enthusiasm : 

Resolved,  That  the  Republicans  of  Camden,  whil-st  reaffirming  their  confidence  in 
and  pledging  their  support  to  President  U.  S.  Grant,  heartily  commend  the  able  ad- 
ministration of  home  and  foreign  afiiiirs  for  which  his  appointees  are  more  directly 
responsible. 

Besolved,  That  among  these  agents  and  chief  advisers  New  Jersey  points  with  pride 
to  Hons.  Geo.  M.  Kobeson,  Thos.  H.  Dudley,  A.  G.  Cattell,  F.  T.  Frelinghuysen, 
Justice  Bradley,  and  other  eminent  statesmen,  diplomats  aud  jurists  who  have  ac- 
quired an  enviable  national  reputation. 

Resolved,  That  while  we  feel  just  cause  for  State  pride  in  the  distinction  achieved 
by  these  honored  sons  of  New  Jersey,  we  tender  a  cordial  welcome  to  Hon.  Thos.  H. 
Dudley,  who  returns  to  our  midst  after  an  absence  of  many  years,  voluntarily  clos- 
ing his  honorable  and  eventful  public  mission  with  the  successful  termination  of  the 
Geneva  arbitration,  to  which  result  he  so  materially  contributed  by  a  firm  and  pa- 
triotic discharge  of  duty  in  a  hostile  land,  when  so  many  failed  or  faltered  at  home. 

Soon  after  his  return  he  was  appointed  Assistant  Attorney-Gen- 
eral of  the  United  States,  having  in  chai-ge  especially  certain  suits 
pending  in  England  for  the  possession  of  rebel  property  claimed  by 
the  United  States  Government.  Of  the  fitness  of  this  appointment, 
the  New  Eejjuhlic,  published  at  his  home,  in  Camden,  N.  J.,  under 
date  of  December  7th,  1872,  says : 

"  This  appointment,  coming  as  it  does  so  soon  after  Mr.  Dudley's 

resignation  of  his  Consulate,  and  following  so  immediately  in  the 

189 


THOMAS     H .     DUDLEY. 

wake  of  the  sinister  slanders  which  were  circulated  concerning  the 
course  of  our  honored  townsman,  is  a  most  gratifying  recognition  of 
the  value  of  his  services,  and  a  complete  vindication  of  his  character 
from  the  aspersions  cast  upon  it  by  the  aiders  and  abettors  of  soul- 
less shipping  masters  and  vampire  sailor-boarding-house  keepers.  Mr. 
Dudley,  though  out  of  practice  of  the  law  for  a  dozen  years,  proved 
in  his  management  of  the  Alabama  business  that  he  had  not  lost  his 
early  proficiency,  and  we  may  therefore  look  for  a  satisfactory  settle- 
ment of  American  claims  through  his  intervention." 

Mr.  Dudley's  opportunities  for  distinguished  services  were  very 
great,  and  the  archives  of  the  State  Department  show  that  he  im- 
proved them  as  few  civil  officers  of  our  Government  did  during  the 
same  eventful  period.  He  was  repeatedly,  during  the  war,  tendered 
the  thanks  of  the  Government  for  what  he  did,  and  the  official  ex- 
pressions of  the  President  towards  him,  in  many  cases,  amounted  to 
eulogy.  In  a  friendly  conversation  with  Hon.  'William  D.  Kelley, 
of  Pennsylvania,  in  1864,  in  speaking  of  the  "  increasing  and  unrea- 
sonable demands  of  place-hunters,"  and  of  certain  effijrts  to  have 
Consul  Dudley  removed,  Mr.  Lincoln  said:  "Yes,  they  want  me  to 
remove  Mr.  Dudley,  who  has,  I  think,  rendered  the  Government  as 
important  services  as  any  of  our  foreign  Ministers,  and  is,  in  my 
judgment,  as  devoted  and  capable  an  officer  as  we  have  in  any  branch 
of  the  service." 

Mr.  Dudley  now  resides  in  a  beautiful  home  upon  the  outskirts 
of  the  city  of  Camden,  where  he  may  enjoy  well-earned  rest  for 
many  years  to  come. 

190 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 


ILLIAM    H.   ENGLISH,  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana, 

bears  the  reputation  of  being  one  among  the  most 

f3i''V    far-seeing  and  energetic  business  men  of  the  country. 

i^   And  this  is  the  more  strange  when  it  is  considered  that 

^  he  had  previously  reached  great  distinction  in  public 

life — having  entered  that  field  in  his  earlier  career,  but 

^   .   voluntarily  retired  from  it. 

He  was  born  in  Scott  county,  Indiana — the  southern  part  of  the 
State  and  is  now  in  the  prime  of  life.  He  is  the  son  of  the  ven- 
erable Major  Elisha  G.  English,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  but  who 
removed  to  Scott  county  about  1818.  As  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
that  section,  he  has  always  enjoyed  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
the  people,  and  for  nearly  twenty  years  was  a  member  of  the  Legis- 
lature and  at  one  time  United  States  Marshal  for  Indiana.  When 
he  first  settled  in  the  State,  the  Great  Valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
which  is  now  an  empire  within  itself  in  wealth  and  population,  was, 
comparatively  speaking,  a  wilderness,  the  home  of  wild  and  savage 
beasts,  and  roving  bands  of  scarcely  less  savage  men.  Indiana,  one 
of  the  galaxy  of  States,  near  the  center  of  the  great  valley,  which 
has  sprung  into  existence  almost  as  if  by  enchantment — now  the 
home  of  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  inhabitants,  teeming 
with  every  luxury  and  blessing — then  had  just  been  born  into  the 
sisterhood  of  States,  and  the  stealthy  tread  of  the  red  man  had 
scarcely  ceased  to  be  heard,  as  he  prowled  around  the  cabin  of  the 
adventurous  and  hardy  pioneer,  on  his  errand  of  savage  cruelty  and 
death.  Surrounded  by  such  scenes  of  hardy  adventure  and  of 
reckless  daring,  so  familiar  to  the  pioneers  of  the  West,  his  only 
son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  and  received  his  early 
training  and  education.  He  has  literally  grown  with  his  native 
State  and  strengthened  with  her  strength,  until  he  has  become 
thoroughly  identified  with  her  interests  and  prosperity. 


191 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

His  education  was  such  as  could  be  acquired  at  the  common 
schools  of  his  neighborhood,  and  a  course  of  three  years'  study  at 
the  South  Hanover  University.  He  studied  law,  and  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  the  Circuit  Court  at  the  early  age  of  eighteen  years. 
He  was  subsequently  admitted  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  his  State  ; 
and,  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  his  age,  to  the  highest  judicial 
tribunal  in  the  country,  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

At  an  early  age  his  inclinations  turned  to  a  political  life.  His 
youthful  ambition  to  win  success,  and  opportunities  which  then 
presented  themselves  combined  to  urge  him  in  this  direction  of 
effort.  However,  in  the  calm  reflection  of  later  years,  and  in  the 
full  realization  of  these  asjiirations,  he  laid  down  the  honors  and 
emoluments  of  office  to  seek  in  the  walks  of  business  a  more  con- 
genial vocation.  He  identified  himself  with  the  Democratic  party, 
and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  political  contests  of  his  county 
even  before  he  arrived  at  his  majority. 

Tn  1843,  he  was  chosen  principal  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Kepre- 
sentatives  of  his  State  over  several  distinguished  and  worthy  com- 
petitors. It  was  at  this  session  that  the  Honorable  Jesse  D. 
Bright,  the  then  Lieutenant-Governor  and  President  of  the  Senate, 
by  his  casting  vote,  postponed  the  regular  election  of  a  United 
States  Senator  until  the  next  session,  which  resulted  in  his  own 

election. 

After  the  election  of  Mr.  Polk  to  the  Presidency,  to  which  Mr. 
English  largely  contributed,  as  an  active  and  efficient  politician  in 
his  section  of  the  country,  he  was  tendered  an  appointment  in  the 
Treasury  Department  at  Washington,  which  he  accepted,  and  con- 
tinued to  discharge  its  duties  during  that  administration.  He  was 
not  the  man  to  disguise  his  principles  or  make  an  effort  to  keep  a 
place  under  an  administration  he  had  opposed.  He  voted  for  the 
nomination  of  General  Cass  in  the  National  Convention,  and  had 
strenuously  opposed  the  election  of  General  Taylor.  He,  therefore, 
on  the  day  ))receding  the  inauguration,  sent  to  Mr.  Polk  a  letter 
of  resignation,  which  was  extensively  copied  by  the  Democratic 
press,  with  comments  approving  the  independent  spirit  of  its  author. 
He  was  a  Clerk  of  the  Claims  Committee,  in  the  United  States 
Senate  during  the  memorable  session  of  the  Compromise  of  1850, 
heard  Calhoun  and  Cass,  Clay  and  Webster,  Benton  and  other 
great  statesmen  of  the  age,  in  those  able  forensic  efforts  which 
obtained  so  much  celebrity  and  led  to  results  so  gratifying  to  every 

192 


WILLIAM     H.    ENGLISH. 

American  heart.      At   the   close   of  the  session  he  resigned   the 
position  and  rettirned  to  his  native  home. 

Whilst  in  Washington  he  married  Miss  Emma  Mardulia  Jack- 
son, of  Virginia,  and  now  has  two  children.  He  was  elected  prin- 
cipal Secretary  to  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  which  as- 
sembled at  Indianapolis  in  October,  1S50,  to  revise  the  Constitu- 
tion of  his  State  ;  and  at  the  adjournment  the  Convention  assigned 
to  him  the  important  trust  of  supervising  the  publication  of  the 
Constitution,  the  journal,  address,  etc. 

In  1851,  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  native  county  in  the 
State  Legislature  against  an  opjiosition  majority,  and  over  a  com- 
petitor considered  the  strongest  and  most  popular  man  of  his  party 
in  the  county.  This  was  the  first  meeting  of  the  Legislature  under 
the  provisions  of  the  new  Constitution,  and  judgment  and  discre- 
tion were  required  of  the  Legislature  to  put  the  new  State  ma- 
chinery into  harmonious  and  successful  operation.  It  was,  therefore, 
no  small  compliment  for  so  young  a  man  as  Mr.  English  to  have 
been  chosen  over  so  many  older  and  moie  experienced  citizens.  He 
was  still  further  honored  by  being  elected  Speaker,  and  it  may  be 
mentioned  as  an  evidence  of  his  ability  and  popularity  as  a  pre- 
siding officer  that,  during  his  long  term  of  service  (over  three 
months),  no  appeal  was  taken  from  his  decisions.  This  was  the 
more  remarkable,  as  it  was  the  first  session  under  the  new  Consti- 
tution, when  many  new  points  had  to  be  decided. 

In  October,  185-2,  Mr.  English  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
House  of  Representatives.  He  entered  Congress  at  the  commence- 
ment of  Mr.  Pierce's  administration,  and  gave  its  political  measures 
a  warm  and  hearty  support.  It  was  at  the  opening  of  this  Con- 
gress that  the  famous  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  was  introduced. 
Mr.  English  was  a  member  of  the  House  Committee  on  Ter- 
ritories, which  was  charged  with  the  consideration  and  report  of 
the  bill  ;  he  did  not  concur  with  the  majority  of  the  committee  in 
the  propriety  and  expediency  of  bringing  forward  the  measure  at 
that  time,  and  made  a  minority  report  on  the  31st  January,  1854, 
proposing  several  important  amendments,  which,  although  not 
directly  adopted,  for  reasons  hereafter  explained,  probably  led  to 
modifications  of  the  bill  of  the  Senate,  which  bill  was  finally  adojited 
as  an  amendment  to  the  House  bill,  and  enacted  into  a  law.  Both 
the  House  and  the  Senate  bill,  at  the  time  Mr.  English  made  his 
minority  report,  contained  a  provision  "  that  the  Constitution  and  all 

193 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

laws  of  the  United  States  which  nre  not  locally  inapplicahle,  shall 
have  the  same  force  and  effect  within  the  said  Territory  as  else- 
where in  the  United  States  ;"  and  then  followed  this  important 
reservation  : 

"  Except  the  eighth  section  of  the  act  preparatory  to  the  admission  of  Missouri 
into  the  Union,  approved  March  Gth,  1830,  which  was  superseded  hy  the  principles 
of  the  legislation  of  1850,  commonly  called  the  Compromise  measures,  and  is  here- 
by declared  inoperative." 

Mr.  English  proposed  to  strike  out  this  exception,  and  insert 
the  following  : 

Provided,  That  nothing  in  this  act  shall  be  so  construed  as  to  prevent  the  peo- 
ple of  said  Territory,  through  the  properly-constituted  legislative  authority,  from 
passing  such  laws  in  relation  to  the  institution  of  slavery,  not  inconsistent  with 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  as  they  may  deem  best  adapted  to  their 
locality,  and  most  conducive  to  their  happiness  and  welfare  ;  and  so  much  of  any 
existing  act  of  Congress  as  may  conflict  with  the  above  right  of  the  people  to 
regulate  their  domestic  institutions  in  their  own  way,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby, 
repealed." 

In  the  history  of  this  subject,  given  in  the  first  volume  of  Mr. 
Horace  Greeley's  "American  Conflict,"  the  opinion  is  expressed 
that  this  proposition  of  Mr.  English  could  not  have  been  defeated  on 
a  call  of  the  yeas  and  nays,  and  the  author  goes  on  to  explain  and 
condemn  the  new  and  ingenious  parliamentary  maneuver  resorted 
to  at  that  time,  which  cut  off  all  amendments  but  the  substitution 
of  the  Senate  bill  for  the  bill  of  the  House.  "Thus,"  says  Mr. 
G-reeley,  "  the  opponents  of  the  measure  in  the  House  were  pre- 
cluded from  proposing  any  amendments  or  modifications  whatever, 
when  it  is  morally  certain  that,  had  they  been  permitted  to  do  so, 
some  such  amendment  as  Governor  Chase's,  or  Mr.  English's,  would 
have  been  carried."  The  i)arliamentai7  maneuver  referred  to 
brought  the  House  to  a  vote  on  the  Senate  bill,  which,  in  the 
meantime  had  been  offered  as  a  substitute  for  the  House  bill,  was 
adopted,  and  became  the  law.  Now  there  is  one  point  in  the  his- 
tory of  this  important  measure,  not  very  clearly  developed  in  Mr. 
Greeley's  account  (in  the  main,  fair  and  accurate),  which  it  will  be 
well  to  refer  to.  It  is  true  the  Senate  and  House  bills  were  sub- 
stantially the  same  on  the  31st  of  January,  when  Mr.  English 
offered  his  amendments  ;  but  before  the  8th  of  May,  when  the  House 
substituted  the  Senate  bill  for  its  own,  and  passed  it,  material 
modifications  had  been  made  in  the  Senate  bill.  It  was  the  modi- 
fied bill,  and  not  the  bill  of  the  31st  of  January,  that  became  the 
law.     For  example,  on  the  15th  of  February,  two  weeks  after  Mr. 

194 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

English  submitted  his  amendments  (the  Senate  and  House  bills, 
being  up  to  that  time  in  substantially  the  same  shape),  the  Senate 
adopted  an  amendment,  which  had  been  submitted  by  Senator 
Douglas  on  the  7th  of  February,  striking  out  a  portion  of  the  same 
clause  Mr.  English  had  proposed  to  strike  out,  and  substituting 
the  following : 

•'  Whicli,  being  inconsistent  with  the  principle  of  non-intervention  by  Congress 
writlj  slavery  in  the  States  and  Territories,  as  recognized  by  the  legislation  ot 
ISoO,  commonly  called  the  Compromise  measures,  is  hereby  declared  inoperative 
and  void  ;  it  being  the  true  intent  and  meaning  of  this  act  not  to  legislate  slavery 
into  any  Territory  or  State,  nor  to  exclude  it  therefrom,  but  to  leave  the  people 
thereof  perfectly  free  to  form  and  regulate  their  domestic  institutions  in  their  own 
way,  subject  only  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States." 

This  amendment  satisfied  some  of  those  members  who  at  first 
regarded  the  measure  with  disfavoi-,  and  a  comparison  will  show  to 
what  extent  it  embodied  or  harmonized  with  the  amendment  Mr. 
English  had  previously  oflered.  The  objections  made  in  his  mi- 
nority report  to  the  proposed  boundaries  of  the  Territory  were  also 
obviated  by  amendments.  No  doubt,  these  modifications,  and  a 
desire  to  act  in  harmony  with  the  Democratic  administration, 
influenced  some  of  the  Democratic  members  from  the  free  States  to 
support  the  bill,  v.'ho,  like  Mr.  English,  thought  its  introduction 
unfortunate  and  ill-timed. 

The  controversy  about  the  institution  of  slavery,  which  had  been 
going  on,  with  but  little  intermission,  ever  since  the  formation  of 
the  Government,  raged  with  greatly  increased  bitterness  during  the 
eight  years  immediately  preceding  the  war.  During  all  this 
period,  Mr.  English  was  in  Congress,  and  more  or  less  identified 
with  the  measures  involving  the  question  of  slavery.  It  is  there- 
fore, perhaps,  proper  to  briefly  define  the  position  he  occupied  upon 
this  great  question  of  the  age,  as  gleaned  from  his  speeches  and  the 
Congressional  history  of  the  period.  "  I  am,"  said  he  in  one  of  his 
speeches,  "  a  native  of  a  free  State,  and  have  no  love  for  the  insti- 
tution of  slavery.  Aside  from  the  moral  question  involved,  I  regard 
it  as  an  injury  to  the  State  where  it  exists,  and,  if  it  were  proposed 
to  introduce  it  where  I  reside,  would  resist  it  to  the  last  extremity." 

On  the  other  hand,  he  greatly  deprecated  and  unsparingly  de-*^ 
nounced  the  aggressive  measures  of  the  abolitionists,  and  their  per- 
sistent agitation  of  the  subject.     He  believed  in  faithfully  main- 
taining all  the  rights  of  the  slave-holding  States,  as  guaranteed  by 
the  Constitution,  and  that  "it  would  b?  wisest  to  refer  the  question 

195 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

of  slavery  to  that  best  and  safest  of  all  tribunals, — the  people  to  be 
governed.  They  are  the  best  judges  of  the  soil  and  climate  and 
wants  of  the  country  they  inhabit  ;  they  are  the  true  judges  of  what 
will  best  suit  their  own  condition,  and  promote  their  welfare  and 
happiness." 

Speaking  for  himself  and  his  constituents,  he  said,  upon  another 
occasion,  "  We  do  not  like  the  institution  of  slavery,  neither  in  its 
moral,  social,  nor  political  bearings,  but  consider  that  it  is  a  matter 
which,  like  all  other  domestic  affairs,  each  organized  community 
ought  to  be  allowed  to  decide  for  itself." 

Tlie  idea  of  "leaving  the  people  of  every  State  and  Territory 
perfectly  free  to  form  and  regulate  their  domestic  institutions  in 
their  own  way,  subject  only  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,"  seemed  to  be  in  accordance  with  the  genius  of  our  Ameri- 
can institutions  ;  but  the  storm  raised  by  the  passage  of  the  Kan- 
sas-Nebraska bill  vesulted  in  the  defeat  of  nearly  all  the  members 
from  the  free  States  who  voted  for  it.  In  fact,  Mr.  English  was 
one  of  the  only  three  in  the  United  States  who  commanded 
strength  enough  to  survive  the  storm. 

He  was  re-elected,  and  continued  to  support  the  policy  of  the 
Administration  during  the  34th  Congress.  He  was  a  KcLrent  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  for  eight  years,  and,  during  this  Congress, 
made  a  speech  in  defease  of  the  management  of  the  Institution, 
which  was  highly  commended  by  Professor  Henry,  Charles  Henry 
Davis,  and  other  eminent  scientific  gentlemen.  Mr.  Davis  went  so 
far  as  to  write  a  letter,  in  which  he  said  Mr.  English  was  entitled 
to  "the  gratitude  and  friendly  regard  of  every  scientific  man  in  the 
country  whose  opinions  are  thought  worth  repeating." 

Mr.  English  was  not  a  candidate  for  renomination  in  185G,  but 
his  constituents  claimed  they  had  a  right  to  his  services  at  that 
time,  and  lie  was  again  brought  forward  and  elected  by  a  larger 
majority  than  ever  before.  BIr.  Speaker  Orr  appointed  him  Chair- 
man (if  the  Committee  of  Post-offices  and  Post-roads — a  position, 
the  duties  of  which  are  very  arduous,  and  which  he  discharged 
with  ability. 

In  the  meantime  the  agitation  of  the  slavery  question  continued, 

and  the  Kansas  controversy  assumed  a  new  and  more  dangerous 

aspect  than  ever.     Application  was  made  to  admit  Kansas  as  a 

State,  under  what  was  known  as  the  Lecompton  Constitution,  and 

this  was  favored  by  the  South,  and  also  by  President  Buchanan's 

ftdministration. 

1% 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

Mr.  English  acquired  his  widest  reputation  during  this  Congress 
by  his  course  upon  the  Kansas  policy  of  the  Administration.  He 
steadily  and  firnaly  opposed  the  admission  of  Kansas  under  the  Le- 
compton  Constitution,  until  that  instrument  had  been  ratified  by  a 
vote  of  the  people. 

Hitherto  he  had  acted  and  voted  in  harmony  with  his  political 
colleagues  and  the  Democratic  administration ;  but  he  now  found 
it  impossible  to  persevere  in  that  course.  In  the  closing  paragi-aph 
of  a  speech  delivered  by  him  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  in 
exposition  of  his  views  upon  that  question,  he  clearly  defined  liis 
position  and  his  ultimatum.     He  said  : 

"  I  think,  before  Kansas  is  admitted,  her  people  ought  to  ratify,  or,  at  least, 
have  a  fair  op;/ortiinity  to  vote  upon,  the  Constitution  under  which  it  is  proposed 
to  admit  her  ;  at  the  same  time,  I  am  not  so  wedded  to  any  particular  plan  that  I 
may  not,  for  the  sake  of  harmony  and  as  a  choice  of  evils,  make  reasonable  con 
cessions,  provided  the  svintance  would  he  secured  :  which  is  the  making  of  the  Con. 
stitution,  at  an  early  day,  conform  to  the  public  will,  or,  at  least,  that  the  privilege 
and  opportunity  of  so  making  it  be  secured  to  the  people  beyond  all  question. 
Less  than  this  would  not  satisfy  the  expectations  of  my  constituents,  and  I  would 
not  betray  their  wishes  for  any  earthly  considerations.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  all 
reasonable  compromises  are  voted  down,  and  I  am  brought  to  vote  upon  the  naked 
and  unqualified  admission  of  Kansas  under  the  Lecomptou  Constitution,  I  distinctly 
declare  that  I  cannot,  in  conscience,  vote  for  it." 

During  the  long  and  exciting  contest  over  this  question,  which 
had  seldom  before  been  equaled  in  bitterness,  and  was  really  the 
prelude  to  the  terrible  civil  war,  Mr.  English  never  departed  from 
the  position  taken  in  this  sjoeech.  As  a  party  man  he  was  anxious 
to  heal  the  divisions  that  had  sprung  up  among  his  political  friends 
upon  this  question,  and  to  relieve  the  Administration  and  the 
South  from  the  position  they  had  taken,  which  Mr.  English,  in  his 
heart,  considered  impolitic  and  dangerous. 

He  was  "  Anti-Lecompton,"  but  not  of  those  who  wished  to 
cripple  the  Administration,  or  break  up  the  Democratic  organiza- 
tion. He  boldly  and  eloquently  appealed  to  his  Southern  col- 
leagues. Alluding  to  the  recent  defeat  of  the  Democracy  at  the 
North,  he  said  : 

"  It  should  not  be  forgotten,  that  when  we  men  of  the  North  went  forth  to 
encounter  this  fearful  army  of  fanatics,  this  great  army  of  Abolitionists,  Know- 
nothings,  and  Republicans  combined,  you,  gentlemen  of  the  South,  were  at  home 
at  your  ease,  because  you  had  not  run  counter  to  the  sympathies  and  po])ular  sen- 
timents of  your  people ;  you  went  with  the  current,  tee  against  it.  We  risked 
everything,  you  comparatively  nothing  ;  and  now  I  appeal  to  you  whether,  for  the 
sake  of  an  empty  triumph  of  no  permanent  benefit  to  you  or  your  '  peculiar  insti- 
ls? 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

tution,'  you  will  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  our  earnest  entreaties  for  such  an  adjustment 
of  tills  question  as  will  enable  us  to  respect  the  wishes  of  our  constituents  and 
maintain  the  union  and  integrity  of  our  party  at  home  ?  Look  to  it,  ye  men  of  the 
South,  that  you  do  not,  for  a  mere  shadow,  strike  down  or  drive  from  you  your 
only  effective  support  outside  the  limits  of  your  own  States." 

The  great  contest  filled  the  country  with  the  most  intense 
excitement,  and  awakened  the  apprehensions  of  the  most  thought- 
ful and  patriotic  citizens.  For  five  long  months  it  was  the  all- 
engrossing  topic  in  Congress,  absorbing  the  attention  of  Senators 
and  Representatives,  and  standing  in  the  way  of  the  transaction  of 
all  useful  and  legitimate  public  business. 

The  Senate  saw  proper  to  pass  a  bill  admitting  Kansas  under 
the  Lecompton  Constitution  without  limit  or  condition  ;  but  this 
bill,  although  it  commanded  the  favor  of  the  President  and  his 
Cabinet,  failed  to  receive  the  sanction  of  the  House  of  Eepresenta- 
tives.  The  House,  on  the  other  hand,  passed  a  bill  as  a  substitute 
for  that  of  the  Senate  ;  but  this  the  Senate  would  not  accept,  or 
the  Executive  approve.  Thus  was  an  issue  formed  between  great 
co-ordinate  branches  of  the  Government,  whose  joint  and  harmo- 
nious action  could  alone  remove  tiie  dangerous  question  and  give 
peace  to  the  country. 

In  this  stage  of  the  proceedings,  when  the  whole  country  had 
about  abandoned  the  hope  of  a  settlement  of  the  disagreement 
between  the  two  Houses,  and  the  angry  contest  was  likely  to  be 
adjourned  for  further  and  protracted  agitation  before  a  people 
alreadv  inflamed  with  sectional  animosities,  Mr.  English  took  the 
responsibility  of  moving  to  concur  in  the  proposition  of  the  Senate 
asking  for  a  committee  of  free  conference.  The  excitement  upon 
the  occasion  had  scarcely  ever  been  equaled  in  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. Upon  adopting  this  motion  the  vote  was  a  tie  (108  to 
108)  ;  but  the  Speaker  voted  in  the  affirmative,  and  the  motion  car- 
ried. The  committee  on  the  part  of  the  House  was  composed  of 
W.  H.  English,  of  Indiana  ;  A.  H.  Stephens,  of  Georgia  ;  and  W. 
A.  Howard,  of  Michigan.  On  the  part  of  the  Senate,  J.  S.  Greene, 
of  Missouri ;  R.  M.  T.  Hunter,  of  Virginia  ;  and  W.  H.  Seward, 
of  New  York. 

As  the  Senate  had  asked  for  the  conference,  the  managers  on 
behalf  of  that  branch  of  Congress  were  informed  by  Mr.  E.  that 
propositions  for  a  compromise  must  first  come  from  them.  If  they 
had  none  to  ofler,  the  managers  on  the  part  of  the  House  had  none, 
and  the  conference  would  immediately  terminate.     The  managers 

198 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

on  the  part  of  the  Senate  made  several  propositions,  none  of  which, 
however,  were  acceptable  to  the  members  on  behalf  of  the  House. 
The  Senate  Committee  then  asked  the  members  from  the  House  if 
they  had  any  compromise  to  offer,  to  which  Mr.  E.  replied  that  he 
had  none  prepared,  but  he  had  a  plan  in  his  mind,  based,  however, 
upon  the  principle  of  a  submission  of  the  question  of  admission 
under  the  Lecompton  Constitution,  and  an  amended  ordinance  to  a 
fair  vote  of  the  people  of  Kansas  ;  and  if  the  committee  thought  it 
worth  while,  he  would  prepare  it,  and  submit  it  to  them  at  their 
next  meeting.  They  told  him  to  do  so.  This  is  the  inside  history 
of  the  origin  of  the  great  Kansas  compromise  measure,  commonly 
called  the  "  English  bill,"  which  finally  passed  both  branches  of 
Congress,  and  became  the  law. 

Mr.  English  never  claimed  that  the  "  English  bill  "  was  entirely 
as  he  wished  it.     In  a  speech  made  long  after  its  passage,  he  said  : 

"  It  -was  not  to  be  expected  that  a  bill  upon  a  subject  of  so  mucb  magnitude, 
preceded  by  such  intense  excitement,  long  and  heated  debates,  close  votes,  and 
conflicts  between  co-ordinate  branches  of  the  Government,  could  be  enacted  into 
a  law  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to  all,  or  without  violent  opposition.  Nothings  in 
man's  nature,  or  the  history  of  the  past,  warranted  such  expectation.  Thirty 
millions  of  excited  people  are  not  easily  quieted,  and  a  question  which  could  agitate 
a  whole  nation  was  not  likely  to  bo  removed  without  a  struggle  and  some  sacrifice 
of  ojiinion. 

"  These  things  will  all  be  considered  by  those  who  are  disposed  to  judge  fairly 
Wise  and  pairiotio  men  could  well  approve  of  a  measure,  originating  under  such 
circumstances,  which  they  would  have  objected  to  as  an  original  proposition.  I 
am  free  to  say,  that  if  the  bill  had  been  an  original  proposition,  depending  alone 
npon  my  apjjroval  to  shape  into  a  law,  I  should,  withoul  sacrificing  its  substance 
have  changed  in  some  respects  some  of  its  provisions.  It  was  no  time,  however, 
to  cavil  about  non-essential  points,  or  unimportant  words  ;  no  time  to  manifest  a 
captious  or  dogmatical  disposition.  A  little  might  well  be  yielded  to  the  judg- 
ment of  others,  if  necessary  to  achieve  a  successful  result  in  a  matter  of  such 
importance. 

"  Perfection  in  every  respect  was  not  claimed  for  the  Conference  bill.  Its 
friends  set  up  no  unreasonable  or  extravagant  pretensions  in  its  behalf,  and  they 
now  have  the  proud  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  it  has  realized  all  they  ever 
claimed  for  it.  It  was  enough  that  it  contained  the  substance,  and  was  the  very 
beat  that  could  be  secured  at  the  time  and  under  the  circumstances  which  then 
existed. 

"  In  that  spirit  it  was  agreed  to  in  committee ;  in  that  spirit  enacted  into  a  law. 
It  sprang  from  the  necessity  of  the  case,  and  was  supported  in  the  hope  of  recon- 
ciliation and  peace.  If  those  who  gave  it  their  support  erred,  it  was  in  yielding 
too  much  in  the  praiseworthy  effort  of  removing  a  dangerous  question  from  the 
national  councils  and  restoring  harmony  to  a  highly  excited  people." 

Under  this  law  the  question  of  admission  under  the  Lecompton 

Constitution  was,  in  effect,  referred  back  to  the  people  of  Kansas, 

199 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

and  they  voted  against  it,  just  as  Mr.  English  and  almost  every 
one  else  expected  they  would  do.  Even  so  hitter  a  partisan  as  Mr. 
Greeley  admits,  in  his  History,  that  the  vote  cast  on  the  proposition 
submitted  by  the  English  bill  "  was,  in  effect,  to  reject  the  Lecomp- 
ton  Constitution." 

Thus  was  the  result  accomplished  which  Mr.  English  had  con- 
tended for  from  the  beginning,  and  there  is  no  inconsistency  in  his 
record  upon  this  subject.  On  the  final  vote  which  admitted  Kan- 
sas as  a  State,  he  was  still  a  member,  and  voted  for  her  admission. 

The  popular  current  in  the  North  was  still  strongly  against  the 
Democratic  administration,  and  the  "  English  bill"  entered  into  the 
ensuing  political  campaign,  and  came  in  for  the  usual  amount  of 
misrepresentation  and  abuse. 

Mr.  English  had  again  been  brought  forward  for  re-election,  and 
the  contest  in  his  district  assumed  a  national  importance.  His 
political  opponents  made  extraordinary  efforts  to  defeat  him,  and 
there  was  at  one  time  some  disaffection  with  a  portion  of  his  politi- 
cal friends  who  thought  he  ought  to  have  voted  for  the  admission  of 
Kansas  under  the  Leconipton  Constitution.  This  disaffection 
finally  subsided,  resulting,  probably,  in  part,  from  a  letter  written 
by  the  President  himself,  in  which  he  spoke  in  the  highest  terms 
of  Mr.  English,  and  said  if  he  had  a  thousand  votes  he  should 
have  them  all  cheerfully.  In  fact,  although  Mr.  English  had 
firmly  opposed  a  leading  measure  of  the  Administration,  the  Presi- 
dent was  well  aware  it  was  from  conscientious  convictions,  and 
always  manifested  the  most  friendly  feeling  for  him.  These 
kindly  relations  existed  to  the  end  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  life. 

The  eleetion  of  1858  resulted  in  the  triumphant  return  of  Mr. 
English  to  Congress,  by  a  larger  majority  than  ever. 

In  the  meantime  the  split  in  his  political  party  continued  to 
widen,  and  the  shadows  of  the  great  civil  war  began  to  be  visible 
to  his  keen  and  experienced  vision. 

Had  there  been  that  concession  and  harmony  in  his  party 
which  he  earnestly  invoked  in  a  speech  in  Congress  during  the 
session  of  the  Democratic  National  Convention  at  Charleston,  and 
before  the  breaking-up  of  that  misguided  body,  a  Democrat  might 
have  been  elected  President,  and  the  terrible  civil  war  avoided  ;  but 
the  conflicting  elements  could  not,  or  would  not,  be  harmonized. 

The  Administration  men  would  not  have  Mr.  Douglas  for  Presi- 
dent under  any  circumstances  ;  Mr.  Douglas's  friends  would  not 

200 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

have  any  body  else.  It  was  the  old  imperious  demand  for  Csesar 
or  nobody.  The  result  was  a  disastrous  defeat.  Then  came  the 
movement  in  the  South  ia  favor  of  dissolution.  Mr.  English  was 
for  pacification,  if  possible,  and  favored  every  measure  tending  to 
that  result.  He  introduced  a  proposition  looking  to  that  end, 
which,  with  other  similar  propositions,  were  referred  to  a  committee, 
and  came  to  nothing. 

On  the  subject  of  secession  he  was  as  firm  and  bold  in  opposing 
the  views  of  his  former  political  associates  from  the  South,  as  he 
had  been  in  opposing  the  admission  of  Kansas  as  a  State  under  the 
Lecompton  Constitution.  He  denounced  it  from  the  beginning, 
and  made  every  effort  to  induce  Southern  members  to  abandon  it. 
In  a  speech  in  the  Hoase  of  Representatives,  he  plainly  told  the 
South  that  "  the  great  Democratic  party,  that  has  so  long  and  so 
justly  boasted  of  its  nationality,  must  not  degenerate  into  a  mere 
Southern  sectional  party,  or  a  party  that  tolerates  the  sentiment 
of  disunion  ;  if  it  does,  its  days  are  numbered,  and  its  mission 
ended." 

Alluding  to  the  folly  of  the  South,  threatening  to  break  up  the 
Union,  because  of  the  election  of  a  sectional  man  to  the  President's 
chair,  he  told  them  that  a  corporal's  guard  of  Northern  men  would 
not  go  with  them  out  of  the  Union  for  such  a  cause,  and  that  his 
constituents  would  only  "  march  under  the  flag  and  keep  step  to 
the  music  of  the  Union."  Addressing  the  Southern  members^ 
he  said : 

"  Lookinff  at  this  matter  from  the  particular  Btaud-point  you  occupy,  it  is  to  bt 
feared  you  have  not  always  propei'ly  appreciated  the  position  of  the  Free-State 
Uemocracy,  or  the  perils  which  would  environ  them  in  the  event  of  a  resort  to  the 
extreme  measures  to  which  I  refer.  Would  you  expect  us,  in  such  an  event,  to  go 
with  you  out  of  the  Union  ?  If  so,  let  me  tell  you  frankly,  your  expectations  will 
never  be  realized.  Collectively,  as  States,  it  Would  be  impossible,  and  as  Individ- 
uals, inadmissible  ;  because  it  would  iuvolve  innumerable  sacrifices,  and  a  aever- 
.nnce  of  those  sacred  ties  which  bind  every  man  to  his  own  immediate  country,  and 
which,  as  patriots,  we  never  would  surrender." 

But  his  appeals  were  all  in  vain.  The  time  for  reason  and 
appeals  to  patriotism,  in  that  direction,  at  least,  had  passed.  The 
crisis  of  the  great  American  conflict  was  at  hand. 

It  was  now  inevitable  that  the  angry  controversy  would  be 
transferred  from  the  halls  of  Congress  to  be  decided  by  a  bloody 
and  relentless  war  ;  an  event  he  had  hoped  would  never  come,  and 
zealously  labored  to  avei  t. 

201 


WILLIAM    H.    ENGLISH. 

He  now  determined  at  all  hazards  to  retire  from  Congress  and 
active  political  life,  having  served  continuously  through  four  terms 
That  he  retired  with  the  full  and  unqualified  indorsement  of  his 
constituents,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  convention  which  nomi- 
nated his  successor,  adopted  unanimously  the  following  resolution  : 

Resolved,  That  in  selecting  a  candidate  to  represent  this  district  in  the  Thirty- 
seventh  Congress,  we  deem  it  a  proper  occasion  to  express  the  respect  and  esteem 
we  entertain  for  our  present  memher,  Hon.  Wm.  H.  English,  and  our  confidence 
in  him  as  a  public  olEcer.  In  his  retirement,  in  accordance  with  his  well-known 
wishes,  from  the  position  of  Representative,  which  he  has  so  long  filled  with  credit 
to  himself  and  benefit  to  the  country,  we  heartily  greet  him  with  the  plaudit, 
"  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant." 

Thus  did  he  retire  from  an  active  participation  in  political 
affairs  without  ever  having  sustained  a  defeat  before  the  people. 
Removing  to  the  city  of  Indianapolis,  Mr.  English  immediately 
identified  himself  with  important  business  movements.  Chief 
among  these  was  the  organization  of  the  First  National  Bank, 
which  was  the  earliest  institution  under  the  new  national  banking 
system  in  Indiana.  He  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  bank  as 
President,  a  position  which  he  continues  to  hold.  His  manage- 
ment has  been  marked  with  great  judgment  and  energy,  and  the 
bank  holds  a  rank  equal  to  that  of  any  of  the  leading  financial 
institutions  of  the  United  States.  It  has  been  of  exceeding  value 
to  the  business  community  of  the  whole  State,  and  especially  fos- 
tering in  regard  to  the  many  interests  of  Indianapolis. 

Mr.  English  is  also  one  of  the  principal  proprietors  of  the  vari- 
ous lines  of  street  railways  that  run  through  the  principal  portions 
of  Indianapolis.  By  this  improvement  a  necessary  convenience  for 
so  large  a  city  was  provided,  and  its  real  estate  improvements  in 
distant  sections  promoted. 

He  is,  also.  President  of  the  Indianapolis  Clearing-House  Asso- 
ciation, and  Piesident  of  the  National  Bankers'  Association  of 
Indiana.  He  has  a  fine  residence  in  Indianapolis,  frontiag  upon  a 
beautiful  circular  park,  known  as  the  "  Governor's  Circle,"  so  called 
because  originally  designed  as  the  site  for  the  residence  of  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State.  His  wealth  is  large,  and  has  been  accumulated 
by  the  business  tact  which  has  characterized  him  throughout  his 
career.     He  is  worth  not  less  than  a  million  of  dollars. 

Mr.   English  is  a  man  of  action  rather  than  of  words.     His 

efforts  as  a  debater  are  more  remarkable  for  practical  common  sense 

than  for  brilliaucy  of  oratory,  or  the  flowers  of  rhetoric  ;  his  mind, 

202 


WILLIAM    H     ENGLISH. 

Strictly  practical  in  all  its  scope  and  bearings,  is  eminently  utili- 
tarian. Energy  of  character,  firmness  of  purpose,  and  an  unswerv- 
ing integrity  are  his  chief  characteristics.  In  personal  intercourse 
he  is  inclined  to  be  retiring  and  reserved,  which  might  be  attributed 
to  haughtiness  or  pride  by  a  stranger,  but  to  an  acquaintance  and 
friend  he  is  open,  candid,  and  afi"able.  In  the  private  and  social 
relations  of  life  he  stands  "  without  blemish  and  abov>e  reproach. ' 

As  a  business  man  he  has  most  valuable  qualities.  Without 
being  too  cautious,  he  is  prudent  and  conservative.  He  looks 
searchingly  and  comprehensively  into  the  nature  and  probable 
results  of  all  schemes,  and  when  he  once  puts  his  shoulder  to  the 
■wheel,  it  is  with  a  strength  that  carries  all  before  it.  He  is  not 
demonstrativ(*in  anything  that  he  does,  but  there  is  a  quiet,  deter- 
mined, and  unceasing  application  of  his  whole  resources  of  mind 
and  energy  to  the  end  in  view. 

He  is  above  the  average  height,  with  an  erect,  well-made  figure. 
His  head  is  of  good  size,  with  regular  features.  The  forehead  is 
high  and  broad.  He  is  dignified  and  gentlemanly  in  his  manners, 
and  has  a  pleasing  address  with  all  persons.  His  whole  contour  of 
face  and  person  would  at  once  attract  favorable  attention  in  any 
gathering.  Intellect,  uprightness  of  character,  self-reliance,  and 
zeal  are  suggested  by  his  appearance,  and  made  known  in  his  deeds. 
A  man  who  has  gained  unqualified  success  in  every  position  of  his 
life,  it  is  to  be  said  of  him  that  this  is  the  result  of  an  ability  which 
has  been  equally  beyond  question. 

203 


^^^^a^^ 


THOMAS  WILLIAM   EVANS. 


HOMAS  WILLIAM  EVANS,  Surgeon-Dentist  to 
tlie  late  Emperor  Napoleon  III.,  and  to  the  Em- 
perors of  Russia,  Prussia,  and  other  European  poten- 
tates. Doctor  of  Medicine,  Doctor  of  Philosophy,  Mem- 
ber of  the  Historical  Society  of  Philadelphia,  and  other 
learned  bodies,  Commander  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  etc., 
etc.,  was  born  at  Philadelphia,  where  he  received  a  good 
education,  and,  contraryto  the  wishes  of  his  parents,  who  had  destined 
for  him  another  and  less  laborious  profession,  he  devoted  himself  to 
the  study  of  dentistry.  After  receiving  his  diploma,  he  commenced 
practice  in  his  native  city,  and  soon  met  with  unprecedented  success. 
When  but  eighteen  years  of  age  he  was  awarded,  by  the  Frank- 
lin Institute,  a  medal  for  the  excellence  of  his  method  in  the  employ- 
ment of  gold  applied  to  the  filling  of  teeth.  Later,  in  the  pursuit 
of  other  inquiries  and  researches  tending  to  the  scientific  develop- 
ment of  his  profession,  he  applied  himself  to  the  discovery  and  per- 
fection of  some  composition  that  could  be  employed  as  a  substitute 
for  gold  or  platina  in  the  manufacture  of  artificial  sets  of  teeth,  the 
cost  of  these  metals  being  too  gi-eat  except  for  the  rich.  After 
numerous  experiments  in  that  direction,  he  obtained  a  melange  of 
vulcanized  rubbei-.  This  was,  however,  onlj'  an  incomplete  success, 
but  it  was  quite  enough  to  satisfy  the  Doctor  tliat  his  work  was  well 
begun,  and,  once  upon  the  track,  the  inventor  was  not  slow  to  com- 
plete the  great  progress  and  improvements  in  dentistry,  which  entitle 
him,  beyond  all  question,  to  recognition  as  a  public  benefactor. 

While  achieving  so  much  in  dentistry,  Dr.  Evans  was  zealously 
pursuing  his  medical  studies,  and  obtained  a  diploma  as  Doctor  of 
Medicine ;  after  which  he  determined  to  go  to  France,  and  try  his 
fortune  in  Paris.  Accordingly,  in  1850,  he  opened  an  office  in  the 
Rue  de  la  Paix.     He  was  still  very  young,  and  with  jnodest  re- 

20o 


THOMAS     WILLIAM     EVANS. 

sources  ;  but  in  less  than  four  years,  by  his  skill  and  his  profound 
knowledge  of  his  art — perhaps  less  appreciated  in  France  than  it 
naerited — he  had  succeeded  in  creating  an  extended  practice,  which 
included  all  the  sovereigns  of  Europe.  In  1854  the  French  Govern- 
ment bestowed  upon  him  the  order  of  Chevalier  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor,  and,  December  13th,  1865,  he  was  raised  to  the  rank  of  Officer 
of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  In  1870  Lafayette  College  of  Pennsylva- 
nia conferred  upon  him  the  diploma  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy.  This 
was  an  honor  which  he  perhaps  appreciated  quite  as  much  as 
if  not  more  than  any  of  the  high  distinctions  which  had  been  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  foreign  powere;  as  it  assured  him,  that  while  he 
had  been  reaping  many  and  well-merited  rewards  in  a  foreign  land, 
his  own  countrymen  had  not  been  oblivious  of  the  eminence  he  bad 
attained,  nor  wanting  in  a  due  appi'eciation  thei'eof 

October  15th,  1871,  the  rank  and  title  of  Commander  of  the 
Legion   of  Honor  was  confen-ed  upon  him. 

Dr.  Evans  is  not  only  regarded  by  the  public  as  a  man  of  extraor- 
dinary skill  in  his  profession,  but  also  as  a  humanitarian  of  large  and 
enlightened  views,  employing  his  talent.  Ids  resoui'ces,  and  his  position 
in  the  amelioration  of  suffering.  With  hands  and  brain  never  idle, 
so  to  speak,  but  constantly  devoted  to  some  charitable  undertaking, 
some  worthy  effort  in  behalf  of  humanity,  he  has  done  much  to 
merit  the  gratitude  of  bis  fellow-men.  Indeed,  the  measure  of  good 
he  has  accomplished  in  this  most  laudable  direction  stands  as  the 
noblest  record  of  his  extending  usefulness. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  has  amassed  a  large  for- 
tune, he  still  continues  to  apply  himself  as  zealously  to  his  profes- 
•sion  as  though  he  yet  had  both  fame  and  fortune  to  make.  "Doc- 
tor," said  a  fi-iend  to  him  one  day,  "  why  do  you  continue  to  work 
so  hard  now  that  you  have  already  a  very  large  fortune?"  "  My 
dear  sir,"  replied  the  Doctor,  "  there  are  plenty  of  poor  suffering 
creatures  who  need  all  that  I  can  bestow  upon  them."  What  a  beau- 
tiful lesson  could  have  been  learned  from  that  short  response.  Charity 
with  Dr.  Evans  has  become  a  constant  occupation — and,  in  fact,  a 
sublime  monomania. 

Alter  the  close  of  the  Crimean  war  lie  visited  the  hospitals  oi 
Moscow,  Southei-n  Eussia,  and  in  the  Summer  of  1859  the  battle 
fields  of  Italy.  Thanks  to  the  favor  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  and 
tlie  Minister  of  War,  he  received  special  passports  which  enabled 
him  to  visit  the  general  military  hospitals  of  Turin,  Milan,  Brescia, 

206 


THOMAS     WILLIAM     EVANS. 

Castiglione,  and  several  others,  where  he  studied  especially  the  treat- 
meat  given  to  wounds  of  the  head  and  face.  His  report  upon  this 
tour  of  inspection  to  the  French  Government  was  the  means  of 
bringing  about  a  reform  in  the  medical  service  of  the  French  army. 
He  also  addressed  the  same  report  to  the  Sisters  of  the  "  Sacred 
Heart,"  who  had  sent  hospital  nurses  to  the  battle-fields  of  Italy. 

Whilst  on  a  visit  to  the  United  States  during  the  late  civil  war, 
his  attention  was  attracted  to  the  sanitary  works  there  employed. 
He  investigated  thoroughly  the  methods  and  means  devised,  ob- 
tained models  of  the  various  implements  used,  and  wrote  a  large  and 
exhaustive  work  upon  the  subject,  which  he  published  and  distrib- 
uted gratuitously  throughout  Europa  The  models  he  put  upon 
exhibition  at  the  Universal  Exhibition  of  1867,  and  they  have  since 
been  placed  on  permanent  exhibition  in  a  building  erected  upon  his 
own  grounds.  Pi-oud  that  his  own  country  had  taken  the  initiatory 
step  in  relief  measures  during  the  war,  he  was  equally  ardent  in  prop- 
agating throughout  Europe  the  happy  methods  then  employed. 
With  him  Science  was  but  the  means — Charity  the  great  and  noble 
end. 

In  France  Dr.  Evans  has  founded  two  societies,  "  The  American 
Charitable  Fund  Association,"  and  "  The  American  International 
Sanitary  Committee,"  for  affording  aid  to  the  wounded,  and  which 
did  such  effective  service  during  the  Franco-Prussian  war.  It  is  but 
just  to  say,  that  during  the  several  months  of  severe  struggle  which 
the  Doctor  had  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  terrible  conflict,  in  try- 
ing to  establish  this  generous  and  noble  enterprise,  the  almost  con- 
stant and  seemingly  insuperable  obstacles,  which  beset  the  scheme  on 
every  quarter,  would  have  daunted  and  discouraged  a  less  ardent 
philanthropist  In  fact,  the  undertaking  would  have  languished,  and 
perhaps  perished,  had  it  not  been  for  the  leading  spirit  which  con- 
trolled, directed,  and  inspired  it.  The  more  threatening  the  aspect, 
the  more  zealously  labored  the  philanthropist ;  and  long  ere  the  con- 
flict was  ended,  his  worthy  efforts  were  crowned  with  most  complete 
success,  and  had  obtained  a  grateful  recognition  from  the  French 
Government 

During  the  Franco-Prussian  war.  Dr.  Evans  devoted  himself  alto- 
gether to  the  amelioration  of  suffering.  Failing  to  obtain  from  his 
own  countrymen  the  assistance  for  which  he  had  hoped,  he  had 
recourse  to  the  generosity  of  tlie  English  public,  for  the  purpose  of 
organizing  a  society  for  the  clothing  of  the  French  pi-isoners  in  Ger- 

207 


THOMAS     WILLIAM     EVAN'S. 

many,  Belgium,  and  Switzerland.  He  went  in  person  from  town  to 
town  distributing  money,  clothing,  and  food. 

It  was  after  the  close  of  the  war  that  the  French  Eepublic,  in 
recognition  of  most  efBcient  sei-vices  and  noble  deeds,  bestowed  upon 
him  the  Cross  of  Commander  of  the  Legion  of  Honor — a  distinction 
prized  the  more  as  marking  a  glorious  epoch  in  an  ever-useful  life. 

Dr.  Evans  married  Miss  Agnes  Josephine  Doyle,  of  Philadelphia, 
a  brilliant  and  accomplished  lady  ;  and  much  of  his  success  in  life, 
as  well  as  much  of  his  charitable  enthusiasm,  he  attributes  to  her 
gentle  influence  and  Christian  aid.' 

I  can  in  no  better  manner  give  proof  of  this  than  by  copying  the 
dedication  of  one  of  his  works : 

^'■Dedicated  to  My  Wife, 
"Agnes  Josephine  Doyle  Evans. 

"  In  dedicating  this  book  to  you,  dear  Agnes,  I  do  not  propose  to 
give  you  simply  a  proof  of  my  unalterable  aifection ;  I  desire  as 
well  to  publicly  recognize  the  part  which  belongs  to  you  in  this 
work,  which  has  been  written  with  the  thoughts  of  contributing  to 
the  diminution  of  human  suffering. 

"  You,  in  fact,  long  before  our  marriage,  when  we  were  children 
in  Philadelphia,  our  birth-place,  had  already  given  me  the  example 
of  an  indefatigable  charity. 

"  Since  our  union,  for  good  or  evil  fortune,  you  have  never  ceased 
to  assist  our  fellow-creatures — taking  care  of  the  sick,  and  consoling 
the  afflicted. 

"  You  have  thus  inspired  me  with  something  of  your  Christian 
charity,  while  you  have  never  ceased  to  aid  and  encourage  me  when 
I  have  sought  to  render  the  sufferings,  which  are  caused  by  war 
among  the  human  family,  less  terrible. 

"  It  is,  therefore,  with  a  sentiment  of  profound  gratitude,  dear 
Agnes,  that  this  book  is  dedicated  to  you. 

"  Thomas  William  Evans, 
"  ^  Bella  Rosa,'  Avenue  de  V Imperatrice  41,  Paris,  1868." 

In  the  great  and  good  work  of  measures  for  sanitary  reform  in 

armies,  succor  to  the  wounded,  and  the  amelioration  generally  of 

suffering  entailed  by  war.  Dr.  Evans,  as  before  stated,  has  labored 

most  assiduously  and  effectively  with  hands  and  purse  and  pen. 

The  following  copies  of  letters  are  a  few  of  the  many  tokens  of 

208 


THOMAS     WILLIAM     EVANS 

appreciation  of  his  services  in  that  direction,  which  he  has  received, 
from  time  to  time,  from  the  sovereigns  of  Europe.  The  first  is  an 
autograph  letter  from  King  William  of  Prussia,  acknowledging  the 
receipt  of  Dr.  Evans'  work  upon  the  United  States  Sanitary  Com- 
mission : 

"  To  Dr.  Thomas  William  Evans: 

"  Accept  the  assurance  of  the  great  interest  derived  from  the  work 
which  you  have  transmitted  me  through  the  agency  of  the  Queen. 
She  has  conveyed  to  you  in  my  name  the  token  of  esteem  which  I 
destined  for  you,  on  account  of  your  important  medical  researches  ; 
but  I  wish  by  these  lines  to  state  the  purpose  which  honors  them — 
the  alleviation  of  suffering  in  general,  and  the  amelioration  of  the 
sanitary  condition  of  armies.  . 

"William. 
"  Baden,  this  13th  day  of  October,  1865." 

"  COBLENTZ,  20th  July,  1867. 
"  To  Thomas  W.  Evans,  M.  Z>.,  Surgeon  to  the  Emperor  of  the  French : 
"  During  my  sojourn  in  Paris,  I  received  your  most  important 
work — a  memorial  of  the  War  of  1866  ;  I  thank  you  heartily  for  it. 
As  a  competent  judge,  you  have,  by  publishing  this  book,  once  more 
given  a  proof  of  the  zeal  and  the  charity  which  are  your  motives, 
and  of  which  your  American  Sanitary  Collection  is  the  purest  mani- 
festation. 

"  May  a  durable  peace  be  the  reward  of  your  noble  efforts  to  miti- 
gate the  horrore  of  war. 

"  Augusta, 

"  Queen  of  Prussia." 

"  Mainau,  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden. 
"  Dr.  Thomas  W.  Evans  : 

"  I  regret  very  much  not  to  have  been  able  to  send  you  sooner 
inclosed  notes,  though  they  have  been  written  as  early  as  it  was  pos- 
sible to  know  even  approximately  the  figures  they  contain. 

"  I  hope  they  will  be  useful  for  the  noble  work  to  which  you  have 
devoted  your  attention  and  your  interest, 

"  Louise, 

"  Grand  Duchess  of  Baden." 
209 


THOMAS  WILLIAM  EVANS. 

"Austrian  Embassy,  Paris,  26th  February,  1867. 
"  Thomas  W.  Evans,  M.  D.  : 

"  I  take  gi'eat  pleasure  in  informing  you  that  the  Emperor,  my 
august  Sovereign,  has  received  the  works  relating  to  Military 
Hygiene  and  the  Sanitary  Commission  of  the  United  States,  which 
you  requested  me  to  present  to  him. 

"  Appreciating  the  philanthropic  thought  which  guided  you  in 
researches  and  studies,  of  which  these  publications  are  the  meri- 
torious fruit,  and  recognizing  the  beneficial  influence  your  labors  are 
destined  to  have  upon  Military  Medicine  and  Hygiene,  his  Imperial 
Majesty  has  charged  me  to  return  to  you  his  sincere  thanks  for  these 
interesting  volumes,  to  which  a  place  has  been  assigned  in  his  pri- 
vate library. 

"  Yours  very  respectfully, 

"Peince  de  Metternioh." 

"  Munich,  (Bavaria)  4th  February,  1865. 
"Dr.  Thomas  W.  Evans: 

"  Sir — I  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  interesting  publication 
upon  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission. 

"  The  King  and  the  Queen-Mother,  to  whom  I  transmitted  two 
copies,  have  requested  me  to  express  to  you  their  thanks.  I  embrace 
this  occasion  to  send  you  my  own  thanks  for  the  copy  you  had  the 
kindness  to  designate  for  xoe. 

"  Accept,  my  dear  sir,  the  expression  of  my  highest  considera- 
tion. 

"  The  Counselor  of  State, 

"  Str.  von  Pfisteemeister." 

"  The  Hague,  15th  January,  1865. 
"Doctor  Thomas  W.  Evans: 

"  Dear  Sir— Her  Majesty,  the  Queen  of  Holland,  has  received  the 
copy  of  your  work  upon  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission, 
which  you  have  been  so  good  as  to  send  her. 

"  Very  sensible  of  this  attention,  I  am  requested  by  her  Majesty 

to  express  to  you  hef  thanks — the  more  sincere,  as  through  your 

labors  she  is  enabled  to  appreciate  the  immense  services  rendered  by 

that  institution. 

"  Her  Maiesty  most  earnestly  desires  the  development  of  a  work 

210 


THOMAS     WILLIAM     EVANS. 

which,  she  is  convinced,  will  soon  extend  its  benefits  to  every  civil- 
ized nation. 

"  Accept  on  this  occasion,  sir,  the  assurances  of  my  esteem,  and 

believe  me, 

"  Yours  very  respectfully, 

"  W.  J.  Weekherlin, 

"  Counselor  of  State." 

"Paris,  17th' October,  1867. 
"X>r.  Thomas  W.  Evans: 

"  The  visit  which  I  made  this  morning  to  your  Sanitary  Collec- 
tion has  deeply  interested  me.  I  wish  you  to  know  this,  and  also  to 
thank  you  for  your  kindness  in  furnishing  me  with  useful  informa- 
tion concerning  the  principal  objects  which  compose  it.  I  wish  also 
to  tell  you  how  sensible  I  am  of  the  perseveiing  efforts  and  sacrifices 
you  are  making  in  behalf  of  the  great  work  of  the  International 
Commission  of  succor  for  the  wounded.  I  remember  what  you 
wrote  me  at  the  time  you  sent  me  your  book  upon  the  United  States 
Sanitary  Commission,  as  well  as  my  own  reply.  I  see  with  an 
agreeable  satisfaction  that  our  mutual  aspirations  were  well  founded — 
what  was  then  a  hope,  has  to-day  become  a  reality  for  the  wel- 
fare of  humanity. 

"  Believe  me,  my  dear  doctor,  with  the  sincerest  thanks, 

"  Yours,        Sophia, 

"Queen  of  Holland." 

"  Paris,  13th  May,  1862. 
"Dr.  Thomas  W.  Evans: 

"  In  reply  to  your  letter,  I  thank  you  for  the  information  which 
you  have  given  me,  with  reference  to  the  organization  and  useful 
labors  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission. 

"  That  institution  has  awakened  my  liveliest  interest,  and  I  gladly 
believe  that  at  no  distant  day  many  associations,  animated  by  the 
same  spirit  of  charity  and  humanity,  will  be  organized  everywhere 
to  give  succor  to  the  wounded  and  sick — to  friends  and  enemies  alike, 

"  Eugenie, 
"  Empress  of  the  French." 

[From  the  Queen  of  Prussia.) 

"Berlin,  30th  August,  1870. 

"  The  Queen  of  Prussia  is  highly   gratified   to   learn  from  the 

letter  which  Dr.  Evans,  as  President  of  the  American  International 

211 


THOMAS     WILLIAM     EVAN'S. 

Sanitary  Committee,  has  addi-essed  to  her,  that  the  Americans  resid- 
ing in  Paris  have  devoted  themselves  to  the  noble  work  of  giving 
succor  to  the  wounded  of  all  nations  in  the  present  war.  The 
Queen  is  convinced  that  the  Committee  will  be  of  great  use,  and  par- 
ticularly from  being  able  to  avail  itself  of  the  experience  of  the  Ameri- 
can war.  She  has  been  anxious  to  give  notice  of  Dr.  Evans'  commis- 
sion to  the  Central  Committee  of  all  the  German  Sanitary  Associations 
which  has  been  established  in  Berlin,  and  which  expresses  in  the 
enclosed  answer  its  i-eadiness  to  give  any  information  wished  for  by 
the  American  Committee.  The  Queen  states  with  satisfaction,  that 
in  the  German  army  the  care  of  the  wounded  is  conducted  strictly 
according  to  the  article  of  the  Convention  of  Geneva — that  is,  in  all 
the  hospitals  established  throughout  Germany — whether  by  Govern- 
ment, by  committee,  or  by  private  associations — all  the  wounded, 
German  or  French,  are  treated  alike ;  as  also  that,  of  the  many  hos- 
pitals founded  for  the  war,  the  greatest  number  have  been  built  ac- 
cording to  the  American  system,  which  has  also  been  adopted  for 
the  Queen's  own  hospital  (Augusta  Hospital). 

"  To  give  an  idea  of  the  activity  developed  by  the  different  asso- 
ciations founded  in  Germany  for  the  aid  of  the  wounded,  the  Queen 
encloses  a  list  of  objects  sent  from  Berlin  by  the  German  Central 
Committee  alone.  With  this  other  associations  are  working,  among 
which  may  be  mentioned  the  Hulfsverein  and  the  Katerlandishe 
Transenverein,  which  latter  was  founded  in  1866,  is  now  spread 
over  all  Northern  Germany,  and  is  assisted  by  three  hundred  and 
thirty-eight  auxiliary  societies. 

"Notwithstanding  the  co-operation  of  all  these  different  socie- 
ties— aided  also  by  the  Knights  of  St.  John  and  the  Knights  of 
Malta,  by  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  (both  Catholic  and  Protestant),  by 
many  thousands  of  ladies  of  all  classes,  who  devote  themselves  to 
the  attendance  of  the  wounded,  and  by  a  great  many  men,  too 
young  or  unfit  to  serve  in  the  anny,  who  go  out  to  render  aid  where 
ever  it  is  required — the  Queen  believes  that  every  accessory  suc- 
cor must  be  hailed  with  expressions  of  gratitude,  and  therefore  begs 
Dr.  Evans  to  convey  her  thanks  to  the  Committee  for  the  support 
which  it  promises  to  give  to  the  wounded  of  the  German  army. 

"  To  Br.  Thomas  W,  Evans." 

Among  the  many  praiseworthy  and  beautiful  acts  of  Dr.  Evans' 

lile,  it  is  proper  here  to  meation  his  protection  to  Eugenie,  the  Em- 

212 


THOMAS  WILLIAM  EVANS. 

press  of  the  French,  on  the  memorable  4th  of  September,  1870,  when 
she  escaped  from  the  Tuileries,  and  sought  an  asylum  from  the 
fury  of  the  mob  at  "Bella  Rosa,"  his  palatial  residence  in 
Paris.  Friend  of  happy  and  prosperous  days,  he  remained  devoted 
to  the  Imperial  family  in  the  hours  of  adversity.  Before  day  on 
the  morning  of  the  5th  of  September  a  small  and  well-disguised 
party  left  the  hospitable  roof,  and  journeyed  to  England,  where  Dr. 
Evans  had  the  satisfaction  of  reuniting  the  Imperial  mother  and  her 
son ;  and  of  feeling  that,  although  he  had  jeopardized  his  own  life, 
he  had  rescued  a  good  and  noble  woman  from  the  hands  of  her 
would-be-assassins. 

Dr.  Evans  has  hitherto  spoken  but  little  of  this  incident  of  his 
life,  and  has  maintained  a  reticence  which  will  be  rea^lily  appre- 
ciated by  those  who  understand  how  a  temporary  silence,  in  matters 
of  a  personal  and  private  character,  may  occasionally  be  imposed  as 
well  by  the  obligatioijs  of  common  courtesy  as   by  tliose  of  friend- 
ship and  loyalty.     He  has  accordingly  not  thought  it  proper,  up  to 
the  present  time,  to  communicate  to  the  public  either  how  the  Em- 
press escaped  from  France,  or  the  nature  and  extent  of  his  own  ser- 
vices   in  the  accomp'ishment  of  that  remarkable  historical  event; 
preferring,  rather  than  to  expose  unnecessarily  the  misfortunes  of  a 
fallen  house,  to  leave  uncoiTected  the  errors  which  disfigure  all  the 
accounts  of  the  "  Flight  of  the  Empress  "  that  have  thus  far  appeared 
in  the   public   press.     One  fact,   however,   he  has  always   boldly 
affirmed,  viz.  :  That,  the  Empress  having  first  found  a  refuge  from 
the  fury  of  the  mob,  on  the  ith  of  September,  1870,  in   his  own 
house,  he  never  abandoned  her  person  until  after  her  immediate 
safety  had  been  secured,  and  he  had  discovered  for  her  Majesty  a 
new  home  at  Chiselhurst,  as  also  the  means  of  bringing  together 
again  her  scattered  household.     This  great  service,  in  a  time  of  mis- 
fortune and  peril,  is  feelingly  and  graciously  acknowledged  in  the 
following  autograph  letter,  addressed  to  Dr.  Evans,  by  her  Imperial 
Majesty  : 

"  Chiselhurst,  Kent,  September  4th,  1871. 
"  My  Dear  Doctor  Evans — I  have  to-day  an  opportunity  of  send- 
ing to  you,  through  a   trusty  person,  a  little  souvenir*,  which  I 
beg  you  to  offer  in  my  name  to  Mrs.  Evans.     It  will  remind  her,  I 


•  A  bracelet,  on  which  were  engraved  the  yiovia,  "Souvenir,  4th  Septembei 

1870." 

213 


THOMAS     WILLIAM     EVANS. 

hope,  of  the  support  I  found  during  days  of  grievous  trials  in  the 
sangfroid  and  courage  of  her  husband.  The  date  which  I  engraved 
upon  it  can  never,  alas  I  be  effaced  from  my  heart — for  it  is  that  of 
the  day  when  I  bade  adieu  to  France ! 

"  I  shall  always  entertain  towards  you  every  sentiment  of  grati- 
tude and  respect.  "  EuofcNiE." 

In  addition  to  the  authorship  of  several  works  already  men- 
tioned, Dr.  Evans  has  extended  his  IHerary  labois  to  the  translation 
into  French  of  a  number  of  American  essays  upon  Military  Hygiene 
and  Therapeutics. 

He  is  still  a  young  man,  and  seems  particularly  so  when  we  take 
into  consideration  the  distinction  he  has  attained  in  his  profession, 
and  the  many  honors  that  have  been  bestowed  upon  him,  both  in 
his  own  country  and  abroad.  It  has  often  been  the  occasion  of  con- 
siderable amusement  to  the  Doctor  when  called  upon  to  receive  for 
the  first  time  those  who  seek  him  professionally  or  otherwise,  as  the 
visitor  not  unfrequently  remarks,  when  the  Doctor  presents  himself: 
"  Oh !  sir  ;  I  wish  to  see  your  father — the  old  Doctor  1"  Scarcely  in 
the  prime  of  life,  passing  years  with  attendant  cares  and  responsi- 
bilities have  told  but  lightly  on  him,  and  his  physique  bespeaks 
robust  health  and  all  the  vigor  of  young  and  active  manhood. 

Socially,  Dr.  Evans  is  the  agreeable  and  elegant  gentleman,  a 
hospitable  host,  a  faithful  friend,  and  a  kind  and  devoted  husband. 

214 


nLSCNEfi. 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

By  Geoeoe  Aured  Towhsend. 


tlj_  HE  misconceptions  and  perversions  of  the  late  civil 
conflict  have  given  to  certain  events  in  the  life  of 
this  gentleman  an  intense  conspicnity  which  does 
injustice  to  his  general,  personal  and  political  character. 
Returning  to  his  countiy,  after  indefatigable  and  suc- 
cessful services  as  its  Minister  to  France,  he  encoun- 
tered that  period  in  the  contest  when  the  right  of  a  citi- 
zen to  be  heard  in  his  defense  was  denied  by  the  Directory  and 
abandoned  by  the  people.  He  was  immediately  arrested,  and  not  for 
any  want  of  fidelity  to  his  tnist- — not  by  the  State  Department, 
which  takes  cognizance  of  a  Minister's  misconduct — but  by  the  war 
power,  and  as  a  hostage — a  Virginian  to  equalize  an  imprisoned 
Pennsylvanian. 

This  is  probably  a  new  and  interesting  fact  to  many  readers,  but 
it  is  an  old  fact,  nevertheless ;  and  will  yet,  in  good  time,  take  its 
place  in  history. 

A  man  wronged  by  governmental  oppression  mxist  bide  his  time, 
and  await  his  chance,  and  often  maintain  silence,  lest  he  reduce  his 
own  stature  by  an  undignified  anxiety  for  his  vindication.  A  public 
impression  cannot  be  cudgeled  out,  and  a  high-minded  man  will  not 
coax  it.  His  friends  can  state  the  points  of  vindication,  and  leave 
them  on  record,  as  we  do  briefly  in  this  notice,  which  will  not  admit 
of  a  biography  of  Mr.  Faulkner. 

He  was  born  in  Berkeley  County,  Virginia,  where  he  has  main- 
tained his  residence  and  influence  for  nearly  half  a  century,  having 
entered  the  House  of  Delegates  in  the  year  1831,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five.  The  war  has  changed  neither  his  social,  professional, 
pecuniary,  nor  public  rank.  As  in  1882,  he  advocated  gradual 
emancipation  in  the  Virginia  Legislature  ;  so  forty  years  later  he  was 
a  leader  in  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  West  Virginia,  and  vin- 
dicated there  the  prescience  and  principles  of  his  youth. 

213 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

Too  elastic  and  too  useful  to  spend  his  time  lamenting  what 
he  never  advised,  Mr.  Faulkner  entertains  the  heartiest  views  of  the 
future  of  the  whole  country  ;  and  his  immediate  neighborhood,  which 
was  the  scampering  ground  of  cavalry  during  the  entire  war,  now 
shows  by  its  brightening  aspect  the  wisdom  of  his  views  and  the 
vigor  of  his  assistance. 

Mr. 'Faulkner  was  attached  to  the  Whig  party  until  1852,  when, 
impressed  with  the  abandonment  of  its  principles  by  that  organiza- 
tion, he  declined  to  support  Winfield  Scott,  and  gave  his  earnest 
efforts  to  the  election  of  the  Democratic  nominee  to  the  Presidency. 
For  eight  years  he  was  the  representative  in  Congress  of  the  most 
exposed  constituency  in  tbe  South,  occupying  the  salient  angle  at 
the  outlet  of  the  great  valley  of  Virginia,  where  the  ebb  and  flow  of 
fugitives  and  emissaries  poured  across  the  narrow  skirt  of  Maryland 
soil,  until  at  last  Captain  Brown's  band  and  Mr.  Faulkner's  constitu- 
ents opened  the  war  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley — the  sign  and  portent 
of  the  mighty  conflict  to  follow.  Had  the  representative  of  this 
invaded  constituency  been  either  a  demagogue  or  a  conspirator,  his 
opportunity  was  a  brilliant  one  to  turn  this  occasion  to  mutiny ;  but 
he  hoped  all  things  in  the  Union.  He  even  represented  Captain 
Brown  in  the  preparatory  part  of  the  trial ;  and,  in  the  full  confi- 
dence of  the  country's  repose,  he  accepted  a  foreign  mission  fi-om  Mr. 
Buchanan,  and  retained  it  until  the  great  conflict  was  actually  begun. 
■  His  paternity  on  both  sides  had  been  defenders  of  the  country. 
His  mother's  father  was  an  officer  with  Washington,  and  wounded 
in  the  battle  of  Brandywine.  His  own  father  had  worn  a  sword, 
voted  by  the  Legislature  of  Virginia  for  the  gallant  defense  of  Nor- 
folk, in  1813 ;  and,  dying  from  disease  incurred  there,  left  his  boy 
without  kin  in  the  country — the  protector  and  pilot  of  himself  alone. 
The  positive  authore  of  the  Eevolution  of  1861  were  not  of  this 
practical,  self-reliant,  objective  stamp  of  man.  They  had  long  dreamed 
their  dream,  and  educed  their  conclusion  from  tenets  with  which 
Mr.  Fa\ilkner  never  charged  his  mind.  He  had  no  destructive  ambi- 
tion, and  the  interests  of  his  constituency  lay  wholly  in  the  preserv- 
ation of  the  Union.  That  he  was  an  adviser  in  the  great  rupture,  it 
is  needless  to  refute.  Yet  it  may  be  .proper  to  refer  to  that  subject, 
so  far  as  it  may  cast  light  upon  his  fidelity  to  his  commission  while 
in  our  diplomatic  service.  The  Confederate  Government  never  com- 
municated with  his  legation.  His  responses  to  the  early  secession 
clamor  did  not  add  to  his  popularity  with  that  class.  And  after  he 
returned  to  America  he  was  not  called  into  the  diplomatic  or  civil 

216 


CHARLES     JAMES     FAULK  NEE. 

service  of  the  Confederate  Government,  and  never  presented  himself 
for  Congress  or  a  command.  It  was  not  that  he  did  not  keep  full 
friendship  and  kinship  with  Virginia,  but  the  assiduity  and  extent 
of  his  labors  as  United  States  Minister  at  Paris  had  wholly  occupied 
his  mind.     Thus  much  by  way  of  preface. 

It  was  in  Mr.  Faulkner's  power  to  have  proceeded  to  Paris  as 
soon  as  Mr.  Buchanan  acceded  to  the  Presidency  ;  but  he  deferred 
to  the  incumbent,  Hon.  John  Y.  Mason,  who  was  his  personal  friend, 
and  would  not  take  the  mission  until  the  latter  died  at  his  post  in 
October,  1859.  Then  nominated  and  promptly  confirmed,  Mr. 
Faulkner  sailed  abroad  with  his  family  in  January,  on  the  Ameri- 
can steamship  Fulton,  On  the  eve  of  sailing  a  complimentary 
dinner  was  tendered  hinj,  of  which  an  out-of-door  serenade  was  a 
feature ;  and  his  speech  that  night,  as  printed  in  the  newspapers, 
shows  that  he  entered  upon  his  mission  in  the  true  spirit  of  an 
American  patiiot  and  statesman. 

Mr.  Faulkner  arrived  in  Paris  February  18tli,  and  he  was  offi- 
cially presented  to  the  Emperor  on  the  4th  of  March — just  one 
vear  prior  to  the  inauguration  of  President  Lincoln.  The  work 
which  he  faithfully  accumulated  in  that  one  year  is  a  monument 
of  iiidustrv,  zeal,  and  efficiency ;  and  another  refutation  of  the 
theory  that  he  was  spending  his  time  cajoling  the  Emperor,  and 
smoothing  the  way  for  Southern  recognition.  His  despatches  to 
the  State  Department  numbered  about  one  hundred  and  twenty, 
or  a  despatch  every  third  day;  and  some  of  them  are  of  such 
length  and  involve  such  research  and  close  reasoning  as  to  evoke 
renewed  admiration  for  their  vigorous  thought  and  pure  diction. 
These  dispatches  make  foui-  huge  folio  volumes,  which  are  kept  in 
the  custody  of  the  State  Department  at  Washington,  and,  according 
to  rule,  are  shown  only  upon  the  especial  permit  of  the  Secretary 
of  State.  As  no  copies  can  be  taken  in  any  event,  and  as  even 
Ministers  are  not  allowed  to  reserve  duplicates  of  their  own  dis- 
patches, the  work  of  Mi-.  Faulkner  is  a  sealed  book  to  the  public. 

The  war  blew  upon  the  face  of  affaire  so  suddenly  that  the 
diplomatic  correspondence  of  the  preceding  vear  was  never  printed, 
except  in  so  far  as  it  might  apply  to  the  elucidation  of  the  schism  at 
home.  There  were  two  dispatches  from  Mr.  Faulkner  to  Mr.  Sew- 
ard which  thus  saw  the  light,  and  these  were  written  at  the  close  of  his 
mission,  expressing  his  apprehension  of  the  impending  collision,  and 
seeking  to  avert  the  conflict.  They  clearly  show,  however,  that  he 
requested  Napoleon  to  make  no  recognition  of  the  Confederacv,  and 

217 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

at  that  period  Mr.  Seward's  views  were  in  accord  with  his  own  on 
the  subject  of  coercion.  This  appears  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the 
Secretary  of  State— a  letter  nearly  identical  with  several  of  the  same 
tenor  which  were  written  subsequent  to  Mi'.  Faulkner's  return  to  the 
United  States. 

"  I  refer  to  my  official  correspondence,"  said  Mr.  Faulkner,  "  aa 
a  proof  of  my  fidelity  to  my  trust.  Not  an  act  nor  an  opinion  of 
mine  was  disapproved  by  any  of  your  predecessors ;  but  wherever 
they  were  alluded  to  at  all,  they  were  approved.  No  act,  and  but 
one  opinion  that  I  expressed,  was  disapproved  by  you.  That  was 
the  private  and  unofficial  opinion  which  I  expressed  to  M.  Thouve- 
nel  in  reply  to  an  inquiry  addressed  by  him  to  me ;  to  wit :  That 
the  United  States  Government  did  not  contemplate  resorting  to 
coercion.  This  opinion  was  expressed  on  the  15th  of  April,  1861. 
In  noticing  that  opinion  on  the  4th  of  May  following,  you,  say : 
'  The  time  when  such  questions  had  any  plausibility  has  passed 
away.'  Again,  you  say :  '  The  case  is  now  altogether  changed.' 
These  qualifications  in  your  disapproval  of  that  opinion  of  mine 
were  just  both  to  me  and  to  X'ourself  as  the  exponent  of  the  policy 
of  the  Administration.  For  in  your  own  dispatches,  up  to  the  15th 
of  April,  1861,  there  is  a  clear  enunciation  of  the  policy  of  the 
Administration  not  to  resort  to  coercion." 

We  may  ask,  indeed,  who,  beyond  the  limits  of  tlie  United 
States,  realized  coercion  as  early  as  the  15th  of  April — for  that 
was  the  day  Mr.  Lincoln  issued  his  first  proclamation  for  troops, 
which  Mr.  Faulkner,  in  Paris,  could  not  have  known,  as  com- 
munication then  stood,  for  nearly  a  fortnight  more. 

We  have  said  that  but  two  dispatches  out  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  appear  in  the  dij^lomatic  correspondence ;  exception  must 
be  made  in  favor  of  eight  others,  which  would  have  shared  the  com- 
mon obscurity  but  for  the  fact  that  they  affected  the  great  question 
of  military  duty  due  to  European  Governments  by  their  expatriated 
subjects  in  America.  In  1866  the  Senate  called  for  the  corres- 
pondence on  this  subject,  and  among  the  rest  came  Mr.  Faulkner's 
buried  labors  and  vindication.  It  was  shown  that  in  1860  he 
pressed  this  issue  upon  Napoleon,  obtained  the  first  concession  in 
favor  of  our  naturalized  citizens  ever  made  by  a  Continental  Power 
on  so  tender  a  point;  and,  if  permitted  by  Mr.  Cass,  would  have 
made  it  a  treaty  obligation.  I'hus  tens  of  thousands  of  young  men 
of  North  German  and  French  birth  owe  in  great  part  to  Mr.  Faulk- 
ner their  immunity  to  revisit  their  native  land  without  the  peril  of 

218 


CHAKLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

arrest,  punishment,  and  military  peonage.  Mr.  Faulkner's  doctrine 
on  this  point  was  laid  down  in  a  letter  to  M.  Thouvenel,  April  2d, 
1860 — less  than  a  mouth  after  his  presentation  at  Court.  The  high 
character  of  this  letter  may  be  judged  of  by  the  approving  reference 
to  it  of  Hon.  Wm.  Beach  Lawrence  in  his  "  Standard  Commentary 
upon  Wheaton's  Law  of  Nations." 

"  No  exercise  of  personal  liberty,"  said  Mr.  Faulkner,  "  is  held  by 
us  more  essential  to  human  happiness  than  the  right  of  a  man  of  ma- 
ture years  to  abandon  a  community  whose  laws,  religion,  climate,  form 
of  government,  or  S3'stem  of  industrial  pursuits  are  found  destructive 
of  his  peace  and  comfort,  and  to  identify  himself  with  another  nation 
of  people,  if  consistent  with  their  policy,  whose  tastes  and  institu- 
tions are  more  congenial  to  his  own.  *  *  *  His  allegiance  to 
his  native  country  is  by  this  act  severed  forever.  He  experiences  a 
new  political  birth.  A  broad  and  impassable  line  separates  him 
from  his  native  land.  Should  he  return  there  for  temporary  pur- 
poses of  business  or  pleasure,  he  goes  there  an  American  citizen,  with 
all  the  privileges  and  obligations  of  his  new  nationality  fully  im- 
pressed upon  him." 

M.  Thouvenel  showed  the  strongest  opposition  to  this  American 
assumption,  which  affected  the  very  foundation  of  the  Imperial 
power  in  France,  the  army — that  army  recruited  by  a  vast  ubiquitous 
and  equally  pressing  conscriptioa  The  French  Government  gave 
way,  however,  in  the  cases  of  Michael  Zeiter  and  P.  Puyoon,  two 
natives,  who  had  been  arrested  for  evasion  of  military  duty  in  the 
Gennan  provinces  of  France.  "It  was  impossible,"  says  Mr. 
Faulkner  in  one  of  his  despatches,  "  that  our  doctiine  of  the  right 
of  expatriation  could  be  more  fully  and  triumphantly  vindicated 
than  in  these  two  cases  by  the  judicial  and  adminislrative  authority 
of  France." 

Mr.  Cass,  however,  was  doubtful  of  the  expediency  of  pressing 
the  subject  upon  France  for  the  i-ecognition  of  this  principle  by  treaty. 
Mr.  Faulkner  responded :  "  I  do  not  see  how  tlie  insertion  of  an 
article  in  a  treaty  by  which  France  should  abandon  all  claim  to 
military  service  from  those  of  her  natives  who  had  become  natural- 
ized would  detract  from  the  high  ground  upon  which  we  jjlace  that 
doctrine  as  a  matter  of  right."  The  attempt  to  get  the  treaty  stipu- 
lation was  renewed  by  Mr.  Faulkner ;  but  the  Administration 
thought  a  great  feather  was  in  its  cap  already,  and  stopped  the 
ai'dent  envoy.  President  Buchanan's  Annual  Message  of  Decem- 
ber 3d,  1860,  expressed  his  gi-atulation  as  follows  : 

-        -   '■      ■^-        ■  "^        219  '■ 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

"  To  employ  the  language  of  our  present  Minister  to  France,  who 
hag  rendered  good  service  on  this  occasion,  '  I  do  not  think  our 
French  naturalized  fellow-citizens  will  hereafter  expeiience  mucli 
annoyance  on  this  subject.  I  venture  to  predict  that  the  time  is  not 
far  distant  when  the  other  Continental  powers  will  adopt  the  same 
wise  and  just  policy  which  has  done  so  much  honor  to  the  enlight- 
ened Government  of  the  Emperor.'  " 

In  the  era  of  President  Grant,  Hon.  George  Bancroft  has  secured 
by  treaty  from  Prussia  a  recognition  of  this  principle — the  same 
which  Mr.  Faulkner  wished  to  anticipate  by  two  Presidential  terms. 
To  the  subject  of  our  sketch  is  due  the  firet  proposition  of  the 
statesmanlike  idea  to  put  the  safety  of  the  foreign-born  American 
citizen  into  the  written  obligations  of  mankind,  and  to  make  his 
exemption  from  tlie  enrolling  ofBcer  no  more  a  subject  of  appeal, 
but  of  broad  understanding  and  international  accord — a  result 
which  it  is  obvious  would  have  been  accomplished  dui-ing  his  mis- 
sion but  for  the  timidity  of  the  Secretary  of  State. 

Mr.  Faulkner's  assiduity  and  devotion  were  exercised  also  in 
other  directions.  His  education,  candor  and  dignity  placed  him 
within  the  sphere  of  Napoleon's  special  consideration,  and  gratified 
his  desire  of  knowledge  and  usefulness  by  frequent  interviews  with 
that  master  of  diplomacy  whom  he  occasionally  met  in  the  privacy 
of  St  Cloud,  and  always  promptly  communicated  his  study  of  the 
man  and  the  facts  of  the  interview  to  his  Government.  When  these 
dispatches  shall  be  disinterred,  they  will  serve  the  historian  who 
wishes  to  be  assisted  to  an  estimate  and  portraitui'e  of  the  late  Em- 
peror, and  will  also  display  the  adaptability  and  literary  grace  of  the 
American  Ministei".  His  method  and  power  in  detail  will  as  well  be 
shown  in  the  great  variety  of  application  he  directed  to  the  elucida- 
tion and  correction  of  minor  matters  pertinent  to  his  mission  and 
the  history  of  the  period.  His  dispatches  present  among  other 
things  a  brief  epitome  of  the  history  of  the  Second  Empire,  and  of 
the  leading  political  events  in  Europe  during  his  residence  at  that 
Court;  a  full  discassion  of  the  commercial  interests  of  France  and 
the  United  States,  and  of  the  extent  to  which  those  interests  might 
or  might  not  be  promoted  by  the  treaty  which  he  was  authorized  to 
negotiate.  They  also  embrace  his  interviews  with  high  officials,  and 
his  reflections  on  the  war  then  being  waged  by  France  and  England 
against  the  Chinese  Empire  ;  the  proposed  movements  against  Mex- 
ico ;  the  Massacre  of  the  Christians  in  Syria ;  the  Sicilian  Revolu 
tion,  etc,  etc     His  review,  in  a  letter  to  the  Minister  of  Foreign 

220 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

Affairs,  of  the  controversy  between  the  local  authorities  of  Cher- 
bourg and  the  American  Consul,  involving  the  construction  of  the 
Eleventh  Article  of  the  Consular  Convention  between  France  and 
the  United  States,  and  growing  out  of  the  wreck  of  the  ill-fated 
ship  Luna,  may  well  be  referred  to  as  a  monument  of  diplomatic 
labor  and  ability. 

Our  dijjlomatic  relations  with  France,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
Republic,  have  been  the  most  romantic  and  intimate  of  our  history, 
and  we  have  been  served  at  that  Court  and  Capital  by  a  series  of  the 
most  illustrious  statesmen  we  have  produced.  The  year  of  Mr. 
Faulkner's  residence  there  was  not  prolific  in  great  occurrences  im- 
mediately affecting  our  own  history;  but  it  was  a  year  requiring 
tiie  more  application,  because  France  was  then  mature,  formative, 
and  well  gathered  up  under  a  ruler  fond  of  surprises,  rather  covet- 
ous of  achievement  and  possessions  in  America,  and  able  to  do  as 
he  chose.  The  Palmerston  alliance  and  the  control  of  France  over 
Spain  led  to  a  rumor  of  a  tripartite  attempt  on  Mexico,  which  Mr. 
Faidkner  promptly  protested  against,  and  received  the  thanks  of  his 
Government  for  his  prompt  interference. 

The  social  life  at  his  residence,  in  the  Avenue  Montaigne,  near 
the  Champs  Elysee,  was  meantime  hospitable  and  gracefal,  and  the 
Minister  popular  with  all.  Wten  Mr.  Faulkner  was  subsequently  a 
prisoner  at  Fort  Wari-en,  he  received  marked  attention  from  the 
most  distinguished  men  of  Boston,  New  York,  and  Philadelphia, 
who  had  remembered  his  invariable  courtesy,  generous  hospitality, 
and  faithful  devotion  to  his  duties  as  Minister. 

The  crisis,  however,  was  impending  at  home,  and  there  were 
doubtless  travelers  of  the  McCracken  character  abroad  in  those  days 
ready  to  distort,  pervert,  and  write  anonymous  letters.  Some  of 
these  may  have  desired  the  consideration  of  the  new  Administra- 
tion ;  others,  with  malice  aforethought,  already  classed  every  South- 
ern man  as  an  enemy,  and  made  a  distinction  in  favor  of  none.  Mr. 
Faulkner  resolved  to  conclude  his  mission,  so  as  to  presei-ve  at 
least  his  own  self-respect — whatever  might  be  the  influence  of  mis- 
representation. 

In  the  letter  to  Mr.  Seward,  already  quoted,  he  met  those  old 
imputations  upon  his  ministerial  honor  in  the  following  paragraphs, 
which  we  quote  here  as  new  and  interesting  matter  to  the  reader : 

"But  it  might  be  said  that,  whilst  my  official  dispatches  from 
Paris  may  be  peifectly  unexceptionable,  yet  my  private  actions  and 

221 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

opinions  may   have  encoui-aged   treason  and  rebellion  against  the 
Government. 

"  I  have  but  limited  means  of  showing  what  my  private  opinions 
and  actions  were  in  France,  for  I  never  anticipated  that  they  would 
be  called  in  question  when  I  left  there.  But  as  limited  as  those 
means  are,  I  think  they  will  be  found  ample  and  satisfactory."  He 
then  shows  very  conclusively  that  there  was  no  foundation  for  any 
imputation  upon  his  fidelity.  He  might  have  further  corroborated 
his  defense  by  a  reference  to  the  following  testimonials : 

The  coiTespondent  of  the  Philadelphia  Press,  of  the  7th  of 
January,  1861,  says  :  •'  Though  I  have  never  entertained  any  special 
sympathy  for  the  politi-cal  party  with  which  Mr.  Faulkner  has 
acted,  I  am  free  to  concede  that  few  distinguished  men  of  either  of 
the  great  political  parties  of  the  United  States  could  more  impar- 
tially or  more  satisfactorily  discharge  the  duties  of  so  responsible  a 
position.  He  has  very  recently  been  laboring  most  indefatigably 
to  secure  the  abolition  of  the  passport  system  between  France  and 
the  United  States,  and  his  efibi-ts  are  likely  to  be  crowned  with 
success  at  an  early  date.  In  the  present  calamitous  exigency  of 
political  affairs  in  America,  Mr.  Faulkner  has  expressed  very 
strongly  his  devotion  td  the  maintenance  of  the  Union,  and  his 
earnest  hope  that  a  separati(.)n  between  the  two  sections  may  be 
averted  by  the  mutual  good  sense  and  patriotism  of  both  parties." 

The  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Times  (Dr.  Johnson),  over 
the  signature  of  "  Malakoff,"  says,  April  2d,  1861 :  '•  Now  that  the 
Southern  Confederacy  has  named  its  foreign  diplomatic  agents,  and 
that  their  ava7it  courier  (Mr.  King)  has  already  arrived,  you  will 
naturally  be  interested  in  knowing  how  the  recognition  question 
stands  here.  But,  first,  a  word  in  regard  to  England ;  Mr.  Dallas 
stands  firm  for  the  Union  in  all  its  integrity,  and  his  Eepublican 
successor  will  find  no  treason  in  that  of&ce. 

"  In  regard  to  France,  Mr.  Faulkner  stands  firm  to  the  Union, 
and  will  remain  firm  as  long  as  he  holds  the  post  of  Minister.  If 
Virginia  secedes,  he  will  vacate  the  oflice  at  once  ;  he  will  not  remain 
to  act  treason  under  a  flag  he  no  longer  acknowledges.  As  we 
firmly  hope  that  Virginia  will  not  secede,  we  hope  long  to  number 
Mr.  Faulkner  among  the  warmest,  the  ablest,  and  the  most  devoted 
friends  of  the  Union."  The  same  correspondent,  in  his  letter  of  the 
18th  of  April,  1861,  referring  to  Mr.  Faulknei's  last  interview  with 
M.  Thouvenel,  the  Minister  of  Foreign  A  flairs,  and  to  the  protest 
made  by  him  against  the  recognition  of  the  Confederate  States  by  the 

222 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNEB. 

French  Government,  closes  his  letter  as  follows :  "  We  have  thus  the 
gratification  of  stating  that  up  to  the  last  moment  every  step  has 
been  taken  by  Mr.  Faulkner  which  the  occasion  required,  and  that 
in  all  probability  the  manner  of  reception  of  Dudley  Mann  &  Co. 
has  already  been  decided  on  by  the  French  Government.  "We 
think  we  have  no  reason  for  fear  as  to  the  nature  of  this  reception." 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1861,  whilst  he  was  yet  a  prisoner 
in  Fort  Warren,  Governor  Raymond,  editor  of  the  New  York  Times, 
in  commenting  upon  the  allusion  made  by  Jefferson  Davis  to  his 
imprisonment  in  his  Message  of  that  mon'h,  says:  "No  charge 
has  ever  been  made,  so  far  as  we  are  aware,  that  Mr.  Faulkner 
abused  the  privileges  or  opportunities  of  his  position  abroad  to  aid 
the  rebellion  in  any  way,  according  to  the  statement  of  our  Paris 
correspondent,  who  was  in  a  position  to  be  well  infonned  on  the 
subject  His  conduct  and  language,  both  in  official  and  unofficial 
intercourse,  were  uniformly  loyal  and  correct ;  and  Mr.  Faulkner 
himself,  we  believe,  repels  with  warmth  any  imputation  that  while 
holding  a.  diplomatic  position  under  the  United  States  Government 
he  ex])ressed  himself  in  any  way  that  was  inconsistent  with  its 
obligations." 

From  an  article  in  the  National  Intelligencer,  of  the  25th  of  July, 
1865,  the  editors  sum  up  the  result  of  the  testimony  of  their  Paris 
correspondent,  and  their  own  recollections  of  Mr.  Faulkner's  con- 
duct as  Minister  to  France,  in  the  following  language  : 

"  We  notice  that  some  careless  journals  of  the  North,  in  allud- 
ing to  this  gentleman,  have  charged  him  with  lending  his  influence 
and  effisrts  to  the  interest  of  the  rebels  during  the  last  few  months 
of  his  service  as  Minister  of  the  United  States  to  France.  We  are 
satisfied,  by  recorded  evidence  in  our  columns,  that  there  is  no  found- 
ation for  this  imputation.  No  such  charge,  so  far  as  we  are  informed, 
has  ever  been  made  against  him  by  the  State  Department,  or  any 
person  professing  to  act  in  the  name  and  under  the  authority  of  the 
United  States.  The  fact  of  his  inflexible  fidelity  to  his  trast  seems 
to  have  been  conceded  by  all  who  are  familiar  with  his  movements 
in  Paris.  Our  own  intelligent  correspondent  in  that  city,  as  well  as 
the  cori'espondents  of  some  of  the  leading  Republican  journals  of 
New  York,  bore  at  the  time  unequivocal  testimony  to  his  fidelity  to 
the  Union,  both  in  his  official  and  unofficial  conduct,  up  to  the  close 
of  his  mission.  It  is  true  Mr  Faulkner  was  arrested  in  this  city, 
en.  route  from  Paris  to  his  home  ;  and  the  public,  in  the  absence  of 

better  information,  might  have  very  naturally  concluded  that  the  ar- 

223 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

vest  was  founded  on  some  objection  to  his  conduct  as  Minister.  But 
this  was  soon  ascertained  not  to  be  the  case ;  and  in  announcing  the 
real  ground  of  his  arrest,  which  we  did  in  the  Intelligencer  in  August, 
1861  (to  wit:  his  detention  as  a  hostage  for  the  safe  return  of  Harris 
and  Magraw),  we  took  occasion  to  remark  that  '  we  were  sure  our 
readers  will  be  glad  to  learn  that  the  arrest  of  this  distinguished 
gentleman  has  not  been  prompted  by  anj  considerations  relating  to 
his  personal  demeanor  as  a  citizen,  or  as  a  foreign  representative  of 
the  United  States.'  We  feel  perfectly  satisfied  that  every  inquiry 
into  the  conduct  of  Mr.  Faulkner  whilst  Minister  from  the  United 
States  to  France  will  strengthen  his  claims  to  the  character  of  a 
faithful  representative  of  the  interests  and  honor  of  the  country 
whilst  abroad." 

And  yet  in  the  face  of  these  clear'  and  unquestionable  facts  the 
public  mind  had  become  so  generally  impressed  with  an  opposite 
conclusion,  from  the  circumstances  of  his  arrest  and  imprisonment 
upon  his  return  from  France,  that  he  felt  constrained  to  call  upon 
the  Secretary  of  State  to  do  him  a  simple  act  of  justice,  and  to  re- 
quest the  Secretary  to  furnish  him  with  such  an  exoneration  of  his  offi- 
cial character,  in  his  relations  with  the  Department  of  State,  as  the 
truth  would  warrant. 

We  come  now  to  the  nature  of  the  pretense  which  the  press  of 
the  country  seized  upon  to  apologize  for  the  arrest  of  Mr.  Faulkner 
as  a  hostage  by  the  Secretaiy  of  War.  That  arrest,  in  the  absence 
of  any  charges  from  the  State  Department,  was  felt  to  be  such  an 
ungrateful  return  for  faithful  public  services,  that  the  Government 
papers,  per  force,  came  to  the  rescue  of  the  Directory  with  guesses, 
imaginings,  and  all  manner  of  diatribe  which  the  loosely  written 
histories  of  the  war  period  have  accepted  as  material  for  their  works. 

In  the  Spring  of  1861,  the  Confederate  authorities  at  Montgom- 
ery, Alabama,  had  selected  three  Commissioners  to  proceed  to  Eu- 
rope— William  L.  Yancey,  A.  Dudley  Mann,  and  P.  A.  Eost.  These 
persons  proceeded  in  a  loitering  manner  to  Europe,  stopped  some 
time  in  England,  and  none  of  them  reached  France  until  Mr.  Faulk- 
ner had  taken  leave  of  the  Imperial  family  and  quitted  the  country. 
Yet  a  newspaper  paragraph  went  the  rounds  of  the  American  papers 
to  the  effect  that  Mr.  Faulkner  had  given  a  public  reception  to  the 
Commissioners  of  the  Confederate  States,  and  introduced  them  to 
M.  Thouvenel,  and  had  also  provided  a  day  for  their  official  pre- 
sentation to  the  Emperor.      Mr.  Faulkner  never    saw    any   of  the 

Commissioners   until  he   met   them  incidentally  in  England,  some 

224 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

weeks  after  he  had  definitely  quitted  France  on  his  return  to  the 
United  States. 

His  published  dispatches  show  that  his  behavior  was  just  the 
contrary.  April  15th  he  called  upon  M.  Thouvenel,  delivered  a 
copy  of  President  Lincoln's  inaugural  Message,  and  assured  the 
Minister  that  "  the  President  of  the  United  States  entertains  full 
confidence  in  the  speedy  restoration  of  the  harmony  and  unity  of  the 
Government  by  a  firm,  yet  just  and  liberal  policy."  He  said  to  M. 
Thouvenel  that  a  distinguished  citizen  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey 
would  soon  supply  his  own  place,  and  requested  the  Minister  to  re- 
cognize no  dismemberment  of  the  American  Union  in  advance  of 
Mr.  Dayton's  arrival,  who  would  come  fully  instructed  as  to  the 
matured  wishes  and  views  of  the  Government  This  dispatch  is 
printed  in  the  diplomatic  correspondence,  and  soon  after  writing  it 
Mr.  Faulkner  left  the  Empire. 

Thus  the  charge  that  Mr.  Faulkner  took  the  Confederate  Com- 
missioners under  his  patronage  has  nothing  to  rest  upon,  and  slander 
is  left  to  jump  at  the  conclusion  that  Napoleon  could  not  have  been 
so  prompt  to  recognize  the  belligerency  of  the  Confederates  unless 
Mr.  Faulkner  had  warped  his  judgment  in  advance. 

The  action  of  the  Governments  of  Western  Europe  toward  the 
belligerent  sections  in  America  was  outside  of  the  influence  of  Mm- 
isters  and  Commissioners.  It  was  the  apparent,  the  probable,  the 
sequential  policy  of  France,  England  and  Spain,  and  consonant  with 
what  their  statesmen  considered  the  mutual  interest  of  those  nations. 
Mr.  Faulkner  had  done  more  to  attract  respect  to  his  Government  by 
sturdily  insisting  upon  the  right  of  our  naturalized  citizens  to  return 
to  their  native  countries,  and  be  exempt  from  conscription,  than  by 
any  words  he  could  have  addressed  to  the  Emperor  of  France  favor- 
able to  the  seceding  States.  The  Emperor  Napoleon  was  the  uni- 
versal ally  of  the  side  of  distraction  in  contemporaneous  Powers,  as 
he  had  shown  in  Eussia,  China,  Austria,  Italy,  and  India ;  and  as  he 
further  showed  in  the  aftairs  of  Mexico  long  alter  Mr.  Faulkner  had 
retired  from  public  life,  and  even  after  the  American  conflict  had 
been  determined.  In  this  he  followed  the  traditional  diplomacy  of 
France  and  England,  which  for  several  years  had  been  in  accord, 
and  they  had  even  operated  together  with  military  force.  As  early 
as  May  21st,  1861,  Mr.  Seward  wrote  to  Mr.  Adams  that  Lord  John 
Russell  bad  already  informed  Air.  Dallas  as  to  the  understanding 
between  the  British  and  French  Governments,  which  would  lead 
them  to  take  one  and  the  same  course  as  to  recognition ;   and  that 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

'•  other  States  had  been  apprised  of  this  agi'eement,  and  were  ex- 
pected to  concur  with  or  follow  them."  Mr.  Seward  added:  "The 
President  regrets  that  Mr.  Dallas  did  not  protest  against  the  proposed 
unofficial  intercourse  between  the  British  Government  and  the  mis- 
sionaries of  the  insurgents.  It  is  due  to  Mr.  Dallas  to  say  that  our 
instructions  had  been  given  only  to  you,  and  not  to  him." 

Here  we  see  that  a  Northern  man — a  Pennsylvanian — received 
quasi  blame  from  the  Department,  and  was  puzzled  how  to  act ;  but 
had  he  lived  below  the  border,  and  been  equally  blameless,  or  what 
seemed  to  be  of  more  consequence,  had  he  been  a  valuable  hostage 
to  exchange  for  some  fiiend  of  the  War  Secretary,  or  some  roving 
Congressman,  his  reward  could  have  been  no  less  than  military  an'est 
and  confinement  in  a  fortress. 

The  public  mind  is  educated  to  exaggerate  the  influence  which 
an  individual  may  exert  upon  States  and  alliances.  A  higher  com- 
pliment could  not  have  been  paid  to  Mr.  Faulkner,  had  it  been  his 
due,  than  Mr.  Greeley's  oft-expressed  conceit,  that  he  had  shaped 
aifairs  in  France  so  as  to  hasten  the  concession  of  belligerent  rights 
to  the  insurgents  by  the  decree  of  the  11th  of  June,  1861,  long  after 
he  had  left  the  country,  and  the  United  States  had  been  otherwise 
represented.  Mr.  Greeley  could  have  found  another  motive  for  the 
Emperor  in  the  constant  attacks  of  his  paper  upon  Napoleon's  per- 
sonal and  dynastic  legitimacy,  which  was  the  rale  of  the  Republican 
press;  and  he  might  have  observed,  as  a  vigilant  journalist,  that 
the  personal  weight  of  all  the  Confederate  Commissionere  was  almost 
impalpable.  They  retiu-ned  at  an  early  period,  leaving  little  evidence 
of  influence  behind  them,  and  even  the  sympathetic  and  notorious 
circumstances  under  which  Messrs.  Mason  and  Slidell  arrived  in  Eu- 
rope got  them  small  countenance  at  Court.  Mr.  Faulkner  had  im- 
pressed the  French  Emperor  as  Ministers  seldom  had  done,  but  it 
was  as  the  American,  and  not  as  the  Confe  lerate  Envoy.  Yet 
the  curi-ent  histories  of  the  war  have  tumbled  into  the  line  of  super- 
ficial inference,  and  we  may  quote  Lossing's  voluminous  book  in 
evidence.     That  author  says : 

"  At  the  powerful  French  Court,  the  source  of  much  of  the  polit- 
ical opinion  of  the  ruling  classes  of  continental  Europe,  Charles  J. 
Faulkner,  of  Virginia,  the  American  Minister  Plenipotentiary,  it 
was  believed,  was  an  eflicient  accomplice  of  the  conspirators  in  the 
work  of  misrepresenting  their  Government  and  maturing  plans  for 
securing  the  recognition  of  the  independence  of  the  seceded  States.'' 
But  almost  in  the   next   paragraph  this  writer   of  loose  inferences 

220 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

admits  that  ''  already  an  underetaiiding  existed  between  the  British 
Government  and  the  French  Emperor  that  they  were  to  act  tof^etber 
in  regard  to  American  affairs;  they  had  even  gone  so  far  as  to 
apprise  other  European  Governments  of  this  understanding,  with 
the  expectation  that  they  would  concur  with  them  and  follow 
their  example — whatever  it  might  be." 

The  times  were  out  of  joint.  There  were  no  circumstances  under 
which  Mr.  Faulkner  could  have  been  otherwise  than  misrepresented, 
for  he  was  of  the  old  Administration,  and  a  Virginian  ;  he  was  the 
only  Southern  man  at  the  head  of  a  first-class  mission ;  in  the  con- 
flict of  sections,  he  was  expected  to  do  more  than  to'  look  homeward 
and  grieve  and  plead  for  moderation  ;  and  had  he  gone  about  loudly, 
constantly,  and  vituperatively  to  injure  the  Union,  his  meed  would 
have  been  no  worse.  His  position  was  not  unlike  that  which  Hallam 
ascribes  to  a  distinguished  member  of  the  royal  family  at  the  out- 
break of  the  French  Eevolution  : 

"Persons  situated  as  he  was  could  not  take  a  decided  part  one  way 
or  the  other  without  doing  violence  either  to  the  dictates  of  reason 
and  justice,  or  to  all  their  natural  sentiments  ;  the  only  way  for  such 
persons  is  to  stand  aloof  fi-om  a  straggle  in  which  they  have  no 
alternative,  but  to  commit  a  parricide  on  their  country,  or  their 
friends,  and  to  await  the  issue  in  silence  and  at  a  distance.  No  con- 
fidence can  be  placed  in  those  excesses  of  public  principle  which  are 
founded  on  a  sacrifice  of  every  private  affection  and  of  habitual  self- 
esteem." 

There  remains  to  i-elate  only  the  story  of  Mr.  Faulkner's  arrest, 
which  has  been  almost  wholly  misunderstood. 

He  recruited  his  health,  which  had  suffered  by  the  labor  and  con- 
finement of  his  mission,  in  a  few  months'  excursion  through  the 
British  islands,  and  arrived  at  New  York  at  a  gloomy  period  for  the 
North,  August  6th,  1861.  Three  days  afterward  he  reached  Wash- 
ington, and,  stopping  at  Brown's  Hotel,  proceeded  to  the  State  De- 
partment on  the  10th,  where  he  adjusted  his  account  of  the  Contin- 
gent Fund,  as  is  the  custom,  and  was  provided  with  a  safe  conduct 
and  passport  from  Mr.  Seward  to  his  home  beyond  the  lines.  The 
next  day  but  one  succeeding — two  days  after  General  Lyon  had  been 
killed  at  "Wilson's  Creek,  three  weeks  after  the  defeat  of  Bull  Eun, 
ominotis  times  for  a  man  whose  home  was  beyond  the  lines — Mr. 
Faulkner  was  arrested  by  General  Andrew  Porter,  Provost  Marshal- 
General,  who  had  brought  to  his  hotel  a  great  array  of  troops  and 
constabulary,  without  charges  of  any  kind,  and,  as  we  have  related, 

•  227 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

by  the  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War.  He  was  not  an  offender, 
therefore,  but  a  captive  witliin  the  lines ;  and  liis  record  was  not 
charged  to  be  at  fault,  but  only  his  place  of  abode.  And  the  Amer- 
ican Minister  to  France,  just  honorably  discharged  from  the  diplo- 
matic service,  was  taken  to  the  common  jail  of  Washington,  where  the 
sense  of  decency  in  Captain  Willard,  the  Deputy  Provost,  would  not 
permit  him  long  to  remain.  He  was  accommodated  with  a  more 
honorable  imprisonment  amongst  the  officers  at  their  quarters,  and 
here  he  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  asking  the  cause 
of  his  detention.  To  this  Mr.  Cameron  replied  frankly,  and  the 
words  were  taken  down  by  Captain  Willard  : 

'■  Tel]  Mr.  Faulkner  that,  as  a  distinguished  citizen  of  Virginia, 
he  has  been  arrested  as  a  hostage  for  Henry  S.  Magraw,  State  Trea- 
surer of  Pennsylvania  ;  and  that,  with  my  consent,  he  shall  not 
be  released  until  Colonel  Magraw  be  set  at  liberty." 

It  appeared  that  a  few  weeks  before  this  time.  Colonel  Cameron, 
brother  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  had  commanded  a  regiment  in  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Bun,  and  had  been  killed  in  battle,  and  his  body 
left  upon  the  field.  At  Secretary  Cameron's  request,  Mr.  Magraw 
was  sent  within  the  Confederate  lines  for  the  purpose  of  recovering 
the  body  of  the  fallen  colonel.  He  was  provided  with  a  pass  ad- 
dressed simply  "  To  whom  it  may  concern,"  and  making  no  recogni- 
tion of  General  Beauregard,  or  of  the  Confederate  forces.  Deeming 
such  a  paper  not  entitled  to  respect,  Beaui-egard  ordered  Magraw  and 
his  party  to  be  arrested  and  conveyed  to  Richmond,  which  was 
done.  They  were  detained  tliere  several  months  before  satisfactory 
negotiations  were  had  for  their  release. 

That  this  was  the  sole  motive  and  object  of  the  arrest  was  ad- 
mitted by  the  National  Intelligencer  of  Washington,  at  that  time  the 
recognized  organ  of  the  Administration.  But  this  unprecedented 
and  violent  treatment  of  a  non-combatant  and  an  emment  Minister 
of  the  Government  was  not  to  be  excused  by  fair-minded  people, 
and  hence  the  Administration  presses  began  to  trump  up  "  vague 
surmises  and  frivolous  suspicions  "  affecting  Mr.  Faulkner's  fidelity 
at  Paris,  in  order  to  apologize  for  the  arbitrary  act.  Mr.  Seward 
himself  seemed  to  have  felt  that  the  outrage  required  some  show  of 
defense,  and  he  took  notice  of  these  imputations  in  a  letter  to  Colo- 
nel Burke,  Commandant  at  Fort  Lafayette,  more  than  a  month  after 
the  arrest.  Mr.  Faulkner  was  detained  a  prisoner  about  one  month 
at  Washington,  six  weeks  in  Fort  Lafayette,  New  York  Hai-bor,  and 

six  weeks  at  Fort  Warren,  near  Boston,  and  released  on  the  9th  of 

228 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNER. 

December,  1861,  when  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Virginia.  Whilst 
in  prison  he  had  an  opportunity  of  learning  the  impression  which  his 
conduct  as  Minister  had  produced  on  the  many  able,  patriotic  indi- 
viduals of  this  country  who  had  visited  Paris  during  his  residence 
there  as  Minister.  With  not  a  single  exception,  their  letters  to  him 
assured  him  of  their  unabated  confidence  in  the  honor  of  his  charac- 
ter, and  his  fidelity  to  the  Government  whose  commission  he  had 
held. 

The  frequency  of  such  arrests  blunted  the  public  sensibility  after 
a  time,  and  the  duration  and  eventfulness  of  the  war  has,  until  of 
late,  left  little  opportunity  for  justice  to  the  misrepresented  character 
of  individuals.  Mr.  Faulkner  never  ceased,  however,  to  vindicate 
the  faithfulness  and  propriety  of  his  conduct  at  the  French  Court, 
corresponded  with  distinguished  men  on  the  subject  while  in  conhne- 
ment,  and  at  the  end  of  the  war  promptly  reopened  communication 
with  the  State  Department  Mr.  Lincoln,  sensible  of  the  injustice 
done  to  Mr.  Faulkner,  sent  Mr.  Ward  H.  Lamon,  his  subsequent 
biographer  and  confidential  friend,  to  find  Mr.  Faulkner  immediately 
after  the  occupation  of  Richmond,  and  regain  his  services  in  aid  of 
the  tranquilization  and  repose  of  Virginia ;  and  Mr.  Lamon  has  pub- 
lished a  most  interesting  statement  on  the  subject  since  Mr.  Lincoln's 
death,  from  which  the  following  is  an  extract . 

"  I  know  Mr.  Lincoln  disapproved  of  his  arrest,"  wrote  Mr. 
Lamon  to  John  E.  Schley  ;  "  he  said  there  was  no  just  ground  for 
it,  but  added  that  these  were  critical  times,  and  he  did  not  like  to  in- 
terfere with  that  act  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  especially  as  Mr. 
Faulkner  had  made  no  appeal  to  him.  The  President  had  long  en- 
tertained a  high  regard  and  kind  feeling  for  Mr.  Faulkner  as  a  public 
man,  and  kept  by  him  in  Illinois  a  copy  of  Mr.  Faulkner's  speech 
on  the  subject  of  slavery,  often  used  it  on  the  stump,  and  could  re- 
peat considerable  portions  of  it  fi'om  memory.  He  often  talked  with 
me  on  the  subject,  knowing  that  Mr.  Faulkner  was  a  favorite  of  my 
family  in  West  Virginia." 

Mr.  Lamon  then  states  in  detail  wliat  he  well  knew  as  Mr. 
Lincoln's  Marshal,  that  in  1865  ho  addressed  Mr.  Faulkner  an  auto- 
graph letter,  inviting  him  to  return  to  his  home,  and  offering  him  the 
protection  of  the  Government.  The  letter  was  placed  in  the  hands 
of  Theodore  Wilson,  an  officer,  to  be  delivered  to  General  Grant, 
and  by  him  forwarded  through  the  lines.  At  that  period  of  the  war 
it  missed  its  destination.  Marshal  Lamon  then  narrates  this  inci- 
dent, quaint  and  touching  as  it  will  be  to  Mr.  Fatdkner's  posterity  : 

229 


CHARLES  JAMES  FAULKNEE. 

"  I  well  remember  my  last  interview  with  President  Lincoln.  It 
was  the  day  previous  to  his  assassination.  He  was  sending  me  to 
Richmond,  which  had  then  fallen,  and  was  in  possession  of  our 
troops,  on  a  special  mission.  In  taking  leave  of  hhn,  the  last  words 
he  addressed  to  me  were,  '  Now,  Lamon,  be  sure  you  don't  return 
from  Eichmond  without  bringing  Faulkner  with  you.'  " 

Mr.  Faulkner's  shrewd  obsei-vation  and  judgment  detected  the 
seeds  of  disorganization  and  failure  as  soon  as  he  entered  the  Con- 
federacy, and  he  spent  the  greater  part  of  three  years  and  a  half 
there  in  scholastic  retirement  at  the  abode  of  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Bocock,  in  Appomattox  County.  The  official  battle  reports  of 
Stonewall  Jackson,  which  have  been  admired  on  both  sides  of  the 
Potomac,  were  the  compositions  of  Mr.  Faulkner,  written  out  from 
the  rough  notes  of  that  celebrated  commander.  Of  these  he  wrote 
twenty-two.  and  all  but  the  last  were  revised  and  signed  by  General 
Jackson.  With  this  literary  labor,  which  shows  his  grasp  of  great 
movements  and  faithfulness  of  detail,  his  active  life  in  the  Confede- 
racy began  and  terminated. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  Southern  revolt  produced  many  heroes, 
but  few  who  survived  it  with  heroism.  Amongst  these  latter  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  may  be  classed  as  probably  the  most  notable 
example  in  the  South.  Reflective,  studious,  with  a  cheerful  tem- 
perament and  flexible  faculties,  yet  blessed  with  a  remarkable  tena- 
city of  purpose,  he  emerged  from  the  war  without  self-accusation, 
and  proceeded  to  redeem  his  affairs,  resume  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, and  give  aid  and  confidence  to  his  neighborhood.  He  has 
brought  his  large  estate  into  excellent  condition,  and  is  President  of 
the  Berkeley  County  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Association,  and 
President  of  the  Martinsburg  and  Potomac  Railroad  Company. 
His  practice  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  South,  and  is  pursued 
chiefly  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  the  Court  of 
Appeals  of  West  Virginia,  and  the  Courts  of  the  Judicial  Circuit 
where  he  resides. 

Mr.  Faulkner  is  now  upward  of  sixty  years  of  age,  and  of  an  agree- 
able and  courteous  address  and  refined  appearance.  He  has  blue 
eyes,  which  are  of  clear  and  quiet  expression,  and  features  express- 
ive of  decision  and  sensibility.  His  hair,  formerly  of  a  rich  brown 
color,  is  tending  to  grey,  but  it  retains  the  luxuriance  of  uniform 
health.  He  has  a  large  family  of  children,  who  have  become  con- 
nected by  marriage  with  some  of  the  most  excellent  households  in 
the  North  and  South. 


ROBERT  W.  FURNAS* 


Robert  Wilkinson  furnas,  the  present  Gov- 

■  U  ernor  of  the  State  of  Nebraska,  was  born  in  Troy, 
>/%  Miami  County,  Ohio,  May  5th,  1824.  His  parents 
-'  were  natives  of  South  Carolina,  where  his  grand- 
father was  also  born.  His  gi-eat-grandfather  was  a  na- 
tive of  Standing  Stone,  Cumberland,  England,  where  he 
married,  and  emigrated  to  America,  landing  in  South  Caro- 
lina near  the  close  of  1762.  Thomas  Furnas,  the  third 
child  of  John  and  Mary  Furnas,  was  born  in  1768,  six  years  after  the 
settlement  of  his  parents  in  the  New  World.  William  Furnas  was 
the  fifth  child,  and  only  son  of  Thomas  and  Esther  Furnas.  They 
were  engaged  in  farming,  and  were  compelled  to  bear  the  bui-dens  of 
slavery,  which  at  that  time  was  the  leading  institution  in  the  social 
and  political  relations  of  the  State.  Being  Quakers  and  inheriting 
the  peculiar  Quaker  opposition  to  slavery  in  all  its  forms,  they  finally 
left  South  Carolina  and  removed  to  the  Miami  Valley  in  Ohio,  where 
they  settled  in  1804,  and  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born, 
being  the  oldest  of  a  family  of  three  children,  and  the  only  one  now 
living;  a  twin  brother  having  died  in  infancy,  and  a  younger  sister  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  years.  In  1832  his  parents  died  with  the  cholera, 
during  that  di-eadful  season  when  the  plague  swept  away  its  thou- 
sands. 

Young  Furnas,  left  without  parents  to  guide  his  youthfiil 
footsteps,  was  taken  by  his  grandfather,  with  whom  he  continued 
until  his  seventeenth  year,  working  on  the  farm  and  attending  winter 
schools,  but  poor  excuses  at  that  time,  and  especially  in  that  part  of 
Ohio,  it  being  a  portion  of  the  State  then  an  almost  unbroken  wil- 
derness. One  of  the  first  acts  when  he  became  a  voter  was  to  advo- 
cate, in  company  with  several  other  young  men,  the  building  of  a 
school-house  in  his  native  town,  on  a  lot  reserved  for  that  purpose. 
The  older  heads  triumphed  in  an  opposition  to  this  undertaking  the 


Compiled  from  "Pen  Sketches  of  Nebraskans.' 

231 


ROBERT     W.      FURNAS. 


first  year,  but  nothing  daunted,  the  young  men  renewed  the  contest 
at  the  next  election,  and  carried  their  project  at  the  polls  by  a  very 
small  majority.  On  the  result  of  this  vote  a  $17,000  school-house- 
was  erected,  which  still  stands  as  a  monument  to  the  enterprise  of 
young  men.  This  was,  at  that  time,  a  large  sum,  and  the  older  peo- 
ple were  startled  at  the  extravagant  outlay ;  but  they  have  since 
learned  the  wisdom  of  the  investment. 

On  the  success  of  this  scliool-house  undertaldng  Mr.  Furnas  was 
elected  one  of  the  School  Directors,  which  position  he  held  until  his 
resignation  and  removal  to  Brownville,  Nebraska,  in  April,  1856. 
Previous  to  this,  while  in  his  seventeenth  year,  and  at  the  close  of  his 
term  of  service  with  his  grandparents,  he  went  to  Covington,  Ken- 
tucky, and  entered  the  office  of  the  Licldng  Valley  Register,  published 
by  Richard  C.  Langdon,  then  one  of  the  most  noted  newspaper  men 
in  the  West  or  South.  Young  Furnas  continued  jn  this  office  for 
three  years,  from  1840  to  1843,  acquu-ing  a  practical  knowledge  of 
the  trade,  and,  in  his  contact  with  the  world  and  the  best  writers  of 
the  age,  gained  the  most  of  his  knowledge  of  letters, — the  practical 
knowledge  which  fits  a  man  for  the  active  duiies  of  life.  After 
closing  his  engagement  at  Covington,  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
and  opened  a  book  and  job  office.  He  continued  in  the  printing 
business  at  this  place  for  two  years,  with  very  fair  success.  Near  the 
cloee  of  this  period,  in  1845,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Mc 
Comas,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a  very  estimable  young  lady,  one  in 
every  way  calculated  to  second  the  aspirations  of  her  husband,  in 
his  attempts  to  gain  a  victory  over  the  stubborn  conflicts  of  life. 

In  1846  he  returned  to  his  native  town  and  pm-chased  the  Troy 
Times,  an  acknowledged  organ  of  the  Whig  party.  He  continued 
his  relation  with  this  paper  as  editor  and  publisher,  until  1852,  doing 
good  service  in  the  Taylor  campaign.  It  was  immediately  after  his 
return  to  Troy  that  he  engaged  in  the  famous  and  exciting  school- 
■  house  contest,  previously  noted.  After  selling  out  the  Times,  he  was 
engaged,  until  his  removal  to  Nebraska  in  1856,  in  a  general  rail- 
road business,  acting  as  General  Freight  and  Ticket  Agent  on  the 
Dayton  and  Michigan  Railroad. 

On  establishing  the  Brownville  Advertiser,  in  July,  1856,  he  en- 
tered at  once  into  an  earnest  political  life,  advocating  zealously  the 
agricultural  and  educational  interests  of  the  State.  In  the  fall  of  1856 
he  was  elected  to  the  Territorial  Legislature,  and  served  with  credit, 
having  originated  the  school  system  of  the  territory,  modeled  after 
the  system  then  in  force  in  his  native  State.     In  1858  he  was  re- 


232 


ROBERT     W.      FURNAS. 

elected  to  the  Territorial  Council,  and  served  to  the  close  of  his  term. 
As  a  Senator  he  was  watchful  and  faithful,  and  conscientious  in  the 
discharge  of  every  duty.  In  the  session  of  the  Territorial  Council 
in  1861,  he  was  elected  Chief  Clerk,  and  early  in  the  spring,  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the  rebellion,  he  was  commissioned  Colonel,  and  was 
ordered  by  the  Secretary  of  War  to  proceed  to  Southei-n  Kansas  and 
organize  the  loyal  Indians,  and  have  them  mustered  iato  the  United 
States  servica  He  raised  and  equipped  three  regiments  of  natives, 
and  commanded  them  in  the  southern  expedition  under  General 
Blunt  along  the  western  borders  of  Kansas  and  Missouri,  down  to 
the  Cherokee  country.  He  found  the  Indians  to  be  excellent  soldiers. 
With  one  regiment  Colonel  Furnas  attacked  Clarkson's  rebel  regi- 
ment and  beat  them  so  completely  that  not  a  remnant  was  left,  kill- 
ing about  one  hundred  and  fifty,  and  taking  three  hundred  prisoners, 
with  the  entire  camp  equipage  and  outfit.  After  the  battle  they  pi-o- 
ceeded  south  to  the  Arkansas  river,  where  they  had  an  engagement 
with  the  notorious  Stand  Waite's  rebel  Indian  regiment,  over  whom 
they  achieved  a  victory  in  one  hour's  fight,  killing  the  Lieutenant 
Colonel,  taking  a  few  prisoners,  and  scattering  the  balance. 

Colonel  Furnas  had  with  him,  as  a  moving  spirit  among  the  braves, 
the  distinguished  chief  of  the  Seminoles  and  Creeks,  0-poth-le-o-ho-lo, 
the  great  head  in  the  Indian  war  in  Florida,  an  able  chief,  skilled  in 
warfare  and  of  high  repute  among  all  the  chiefs  and  braves.  During 
this  camjDaigu  the  command  under  Colonel  Furnas  cajDtured  John 
Ross,  the  head  chief  of  the  Cherokee  nation,  and  brought  him  to 
Leavenworth,  and  from  thence  he  was  sent  to  Washington,  where  he 
entered  into  a  new  treaty  with  the  government. 

Soon  after  this,  on  the  solicitation  of  Governor  Saunders,  Colonel 
Furnas  resigned  his  command  of  the  Indian  Brigade,  and  returned  to 
Nebraska  for  the  purpose  of  raising  a  new  regiment  of  Nebraska 
Volunteer  Cavalry  for  the  protection  of  the  State  frontiers.  He  was 
commissioned  as  Colonel,  and  served  nine  months — the  term  of  en- 
listment. Instead  of  being  sent  to  the  frontier  of  Nebraska,  they 
were  ordered  to  Sioux  City,  and  sent  against  the  Sioux  Indians 
in  the  Missouri  valley,  in  the  extreme  north.  On  September  3d,  the 
Colonel,  with  his  regiment,  engaged  the  Sioux  Indians  at  White 
Stone  Hills,  in  Dakota,  which  proved  one  of  the  most  unfortunate 
battles,  on  the  part  of  the  Indians,  in  which  they  had  engaged  for 
years— resulting  in  an  irreparable  defeat,  and  the  destruction  of  their 
entire  cam^j  equipage. 

In  the  spring  of  1864  the  Colonel  was  appointed  Indian  Agent  for 

233 


ROBERT      W.      FURNAS. 

the  Omahas  and  Winnebagos,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until 
December,  1867,  when  he  was  removed,  for  political  reasons,  by 
President  Johnson.  On  his  retiwii  to  Brownville  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  the  nursery  business,  which  he  has  continued  ever  since. 

In  agriculture  he  takes  an  active  interest.  As  President  of  the 
State  Board  of  Agriculture,  and  Secretary  of  the  State  Horticul- 
tural Society,  and  President  of  the  Nemaha  County  Agricultural 
Society— the  oldest  county  society  in  the  State,  besides  owning  the 
largest  nursery,  and  being  the  gi-eatest  tree  grower  in  the  State,  his 
field  of  usefulness  has  been  varied  and  extended,  and  the  opportuni- 
ties thus  afforded  improved  in  the  interest  of  the  State. 

In  the  fall  of  1871  Mr.  Furnas  attended  the  National  Horticul- 
tural Fair,  at  Eichmond,  Virginia,  and  through  his  labors,  assisted 
by  J.  H.  Masters,  his  associate  delegate,  Nebraska  was  worthily 
represented  by  a  liberal  display  of  her  most  choice  fruits,  and  was 
thus  enabled  to  take  the  largest  premium  offered  for  the  largest  and 
best  varieties  of  fruit. 

He  is  also  President  of  the  St.  Louis  and  Nebraska  Trunk  Kailroad 
Company,  and  Secretary  of  the  Brownville,  Fort  Kearney  and  Pacific 
Eailroad  Company  ;  and  also  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of 
the  State  University. 

In  1870  he  was  a  candidate  before  the  Republican  Convention,  held 
at  Lincoln,  for  Governor,  and  was  beaten  by  only  three  votes.  In 
1872  he  was  again  nominated  and  was  elected  by  over  6000  majority 
Governor  of  the  State  of  Nebraska,  which  position  he  now  holds. 

Severing  his  relation  with  the  Advertiser,  on  receiving  his  com- 
mission in  the  army  in  1861,  he  had  no  farther  connection  with  the 
Press  until  he  again  assumed  editorial  control  of  his  old  paper  in 
Januaiy,  1870,  which  he  continued  to  edit  with  marked  ability  to 
the  close  of  the  year,  when  he  again  bid  farewell  to  the  sanctum,  and 
entered  more  earnestly  upon  plans  for  the  development  of  his  own 
private  interests. 

Such  is  the  record  of  Robert  W.  Furnas ;  a  staunch  Republican ; 

an  enthusiastic  farmer;  a  successful  business  man  ;  a  good  printer; 

a  brave  soldier  and  victorious  commander ;  a  shrewd  and  reliable 

legislator,  and  an  able  Governor.     In  his  public  and  private  life  it 

has  ever  been  his  desire  to  act  the  nobler  paii  of  an  honest  man,  and 

how  well  he  has  achieved  his  purpose  and  reached  the  acme  of  his 

grand  ideal  of  manhood,  is  best  told  by  the  honorable  position  he 

holds  in  the  State  and  community  in  which  he  lives,  and  where  he  is 

known  and  appreciated  as  a  citizen  of  untarnished  repute. 

234 


JOSEPH    M.    GAZZAM. 

By  J.  Alexandeb  Patten. 


■^1)  HE  material  and  intellectual  progress  of  oui-  young 
:g  country,  its  unexampled  development  and  rapid 
\Sj  ^  growth  in  everything  that  contributes  to  the  great- 
ness of  a  nation,  have  often  proven  a  matter  of  remark 
and  astonishment  to  foreigners  coming  among  us,  or 
acquainted  with  our  history.  Much  of  our  prosperity,  in- 
deed one  great  reason  for  it,  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that 
our  young  men  become  early  and  earnest  workers  in  the  field  of  useful- 
ness, and,  with  laudable  ambition  and  unwearying  energy,  are  fore- 
most in  all  efforts  of  advancement  Hence,  the  grand  march  of 
national  development  is  never  for  an  hour  arrested,  and  the  decay  of 
public  and  private  enterprise  is  unknown.  The  following  biography 
shows  the  career  of  a  gentlemau  conspicuous  in  the  valuable  class  of 
persons  to  which  we  allude. 

Joseph  M.  Gazzam,  second  son  of  the  Hon.  Edward  D.  and  Eliza- 
beth A.  Gazzam,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Pittsburg,  December  2, 
1842.  He  is  a  brother  of  Colonel  Audley  W.  Gazzam,  a  well-known 
member  of  the  New  York  bar.  His  paternal  grandfather,  William 
Gazzam,  was  a  prominent  English  journalist  of  the  liberal  school  in 
the  reign  of  George  III.  Having  opposed  the  course  of  treatment  to 
the  American  people,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  England,  and  finally 
settled  in  Pittsburg,  where  the  father  of  our  subject,  Edward  D. 
Gazzam,  was  born.  The  latter  first  studied  law  with  Hon.  Richard 
Biddle,  and  for  a  time  practiced  at  the  Pittsburg  bar ;  but  his  health 
failing  him,  he  relinquished  the  legal  profession  and  studied  medicine. 
In  1835  he  married  Elizabeth  Antoinette  Beelen,  daughter  of  Con- 
stantine  Antoine  Beelen,  Esq.  The  following  is  an  interesting  state- 
ment regarding  this  gentlemau,  who  died  in  Pittsburg  in  1850,  at 
the  age  of  eighty -four  years  : 

"  Mr.  Beelen  came  to  this  country  with  his  father  and  mother,  the 
Baron  and  Baroness  de  Beelen  de  Berthoff,  the  former  of  whom  was 
appointed  by  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  Joseph  the  Second,  to  proceed 
to  the  United  States  in  a  public  capacity  soon  after  the  peace  of  1783, 

235 


JOSEPH     M.      GAZZAM. 


and  ill  that  capacity  resided  with  his  wife  in  Philadelphia  for  a  con- 
siderable time.  On  the  termination  of  bis  commission,  political 
difficulties  at  home  prevented  bis  retui-n,  whereupon  they  remained 
in  the  country  and  died  here.  They  were  buried  at  a  small  and  beauti- 
fal  chapel  in  the  interior  of  the  State,  erected  by  the  Baron  at  his 
own  expense.  The  son  went  to  Pittsburg  at  an  early  age,  where 
he  -married  and  passed  his  life.  Had  he  chosen  to  return  to  Austria 
later  in  life,  he  would  have  inherited  the  title  and  position  of  the 
estates  of  bis  father,  but  he  preferred  to  remain  in  America.  He  was 
a  highly  educated,  accomplished  gentleman,  distinguished  for  his 
urbanity,  kindly  disposition,  and  great  good  sense,  which  be  re- 
tained to  the  day  of  his  death.  In  the  course  of  bis  long  life  be 
made  many  friends." 

In  1871  the  present  Emperor  of  Austria  presented  to  the  American 
Minister,  Mr.  Jay,  the  correspondence  of  Baron  de  Beelen  from  1783  to 
1797,  which  is  about  to  be  published.  Mrs.  Gazzam  died  in  July,  1871. 

Dr.  Gazzam  wielded  considerable  jwlitical  influence,  and  was  fre- 
quently chosen  to  places  of  public  trust  and  emolument.  One  of  the 
original  "  Free  Soilers,"  he,  with  the  Hon.  Salmon  P.  Chase  and 
others,  at  Buftiilo,  N.  Y.,  in  1848  sowed  the  seeds  fi-om  which  came 
the  Republican  party  in  1856.  Of  the  latter  party  Dr.  Gazzam  was 
the  first  State  Senator  from  Allegheny  county. 

With  such  an  honorable  and  distinguished  ancestry  it  is  a  matter 
of  no  surprise  that  Joseph  M.  Gazzam  from  his  youth  up  gave  proof 
of  intelligence,  industry,  and  ambition.  Owing  to  feeble  health  be 
was  not  permitted  to  attend  school  until  be  was  nearly  fourteen  years 
of  age.  He  then  entered  the  Western  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
Four  years  later,  before  completing  bis  studies,  be  was  compelled  to 
leave  by  reason  of  renewed  ill-health.  Though  he  entered  in  the 
lowest  classes,  he  was  in  all  the  highest  for  over  a  year  previous  to 
his  leaving.  During  the  summer  of  1860  he  traveled  through  the 
Western  States.  He  entered  the  law  ofiace  of  David  Reed,  Esq.,  of 
Pittsburg,  January  4,  1861,  where  he  remained  until  January  6, 1864, 
when  be  was  duly  admitted  to  all  the  Courts  of  Allegheny  county. 
At  the  date  of  his  admission  be  was  of  the  age  of  twenty -one  years 
and  one  month.  In  November,  1867,  he  Was  admitted  to  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  May,  1869,  to  the  Circuit  and  District 
Courts  of  the  United  States.  On  the  19tli  of  March,  1870,  on  motion 
of  the  Hon.  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  of  Massachusetts,  Mr.  Gazzam  was 
admitted  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  According  to 
the  Philadelphia  Legal  Gazette,  Albany  Law  Journal,  and  other  legal 


■236 


JOSEPH     M.      GAZZAM. 

authorities,  he  is  the  youngest  attorney  in  years  ever  admitted  to  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court. 

In  1869  he  was  elected  to  represent  the  First  Ward,  the  old- 
est and  wealtliiest  of  Pittsburg,  in  the  city  Common  Council. 
Ilis  great  efficiency  has  brought  his  name  prominently  forward  in 
connection  with  other  positions,  such  as  the  nomination  for  Select 
Council  of  the  First  Ward,  and  also  for  the  Mayoralty.  Of  the 
former  the  Pittsburg  Sunday  Times,  November  10,  1872,  says : — 
"  If  strict  attention  to  every  duty  and  unceasing  devotion  to 
the  best  interest  of  the  city  are  commendable  in  a  public  officer,  then 
Mr.  Gazzam  will  certainly  be  rewarded  with  a  seat  in  the  Select 
branch  of  our  city  legislature.  During  the  year  about  to  close,  Mr. 
Gazzam  has  been  prominent  in  all  important  legislation,  and  has  ever 
been  on  the  popular  side.  His  constituents  will  do  themselves  a  good 
service  by  honoring  Mr.  Gazzam  with  promotion." 

Alluding  to  the  nomination  for  the  next  Mayor,  the  Evening 
Bulletin  of  9th  November,  1872,  says : — "  Although  only  a  little  over 
a  year  of  the  present  Mayor's  term  has  expired,  a  number  of  persons 
are  already  spoken  of  as  his  successor.  Among  the  number  is  the 
name  of  Joseph  M.  Gazzam.  Mr.  Gazzam  is  a  young  man  of 
ability.  He  has  represented  the  First  Ward  in  the  Common  Coun- 
cil for  several  years,  and  the  people  have  the  utmost  confidence  in 
his  honesty  and  integrity." 

Mr.  Gazzam  is  solicitor  for  a  number  of  leading  corporations  of 
Pittsburg.  Among  them  are  the  City  Bank,  Security  Trust  Com- 
pany, and  Iron  City  Fire  Insurrance  Company.  In  18y1  he  was 
elected  one  of  the  Directors  for  Pennsylvania  in  the  United  States 
Law  Association.  He  is  President  of  the  United  States  Building  and 
Loan  Association,  which  has  a  capital  of  half  a  million  of  dollars,  and 
has  the  leading  men  of  the  city  among  its  directors  and  stockholders. 
For  many  years  he  was  President  of  the  Pittsburg  Gymnastic 
Association,  and  also  of  the  Hygeia  Base  Ball  Club,  and  several  literary 
societies.  Pressing  official  and  professional  business  induced  him  to 
withdraw  fi'om  these  strictly  social  organizations. 

He  has  a  large  and  paying  law  practice.  Moneyed  institutions 
and  the  largest  business  firms  constantly  employ  him,  as  he  pays 
special  attention  to  the  laws  of  coi-porations  and  collections.  For  his 
age  he  has  accumulated  a  considerable  fortune.  He  stands  well, 
socially,  professionally,  and  financially.  He  is  well  known  profes- 
sionally in   Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  and  to  a  considerable  extent  iu 

237 


JOSEPH     M.      GAZZAM. 

Other  States  of  the  Union.  He  encourages  city  improvements  and 
enterprise  in  business.  In  politics  he  has  always  been  a  Eepublican. 
He  attends  the  EpiscoiJal  Church.  On  all  subjects  of  opinion  he  is 
intelligent  and  liberal  Since  leaving  the  University  he  has  continued 
a  student  of  Latin  and  Greek  literature,  and  is  also  both  a  reliable 
court  and  office  lawyer.  He  speaks  in  public  with  ease  and  force  of 
argument.  His  voice,  while  not  loud,  is  clear  and  agreeable. 
Occasionally  he  makes  a  political  speech,  but  devotes  himself  closely 
to  his  profession,  and  loolcing  after  the  interests  of  the  city.  In  May, 
1872,  as  Chairman  of  tlie  Police  Committee,  he  made  an  eloquent 
address,  as  a  part  of  the  inaugural  ceremonies  of  the  magnificent 
Municipal  Halh     He  is  a  bachelor. 

In  the  large  cities  of  the  United  States  there  are  to  be  seen  young 
men  who  show  maturity  of  mind  and  mastership  in  action  under  all 
circumstances,  and  readily  take  their  place  as  guides  and  leaders 
among  their  fellow-men.  Mr.  Gazzam  is  emphatically  one  of  these. 
As  a  lawyer,  a  business  man,  and  a  public  character,  he  has  shown 
himself  cajjable  in  every  ordeal,  and  they  have  been  many,  where 
there  was  a  test  in  which  solid  merit  alone  could  sustain  the  gi-ound 
assumed.  While  it  is  evident  his  own  desire  is  to  ascend  in  the  scale 
of  private  and  public  influence,  only  as  fast  and  as  far  as  may  be 
justified  by  these  constantly  recurring  tests;  his  friends,  knowing 
the  value  of  his  opinions  and  the  force  of  his  energy,  are  prompt  to 
place  him  in  the  fi-ont  of  every  movement  Finding  himself  once 
there,  the  utmost  labor  becomes  a  matter  of  conscientious  duty,  and 
he  thus  reaches  the  success  which  has  so  greatly  marked  his  whole 
career,  and  made  him,  young  as  he  is,  so  prominent. 

The  ocean  of  life  is  strewn  with  the  wrecks  of  men — fair,  noble, 
structures,  freighted  with  hopes  and  talents,  but  which  have  gone 
down  after  a  few  wild  storms.  In  most  cases  of  this  kind,  if  the  facts 
are  inquired  into,  it  appears  that  these  unfortunates  are  those  who, 
carried  away  by  brilliant  talents  and  the  undue  applause  of  friends, 
have  pushed  out  into  the  deep  waters  prepared  rather  for  sunshine 
than  the  storm.  How  wise,  then,  is  he  who,  as  a  young  man,  delves 
and  penetrates,  toils  and  acquires  with  a  view  to  meet  the  conflicts 
instead  of  the  calm  of  life.  Modest  of  himself  and  ever  unwilling 
to  cease  in  application,  he  builds  and  strengthens  in  body  and  mind 
for  the  time  to  come.  This  is  the  direction  of  all  the  thoughts  and 
plans  of  Joseph  M.  Gazzam.  If  private  esteem,  public  honors,  and 
large  professional  fortune  come  to  him,  they  will  be  deserved  before 
they  are  aspired  to. 


RICHARD    JORDAN    GATLING. 


Richard  Jordan  GATLma— the  inventor  of  tte 

celebrated  revolving  battery  gun  which  bears  his 
name — was  born  in  Hertfoi'd  county,  North  Carolina, 
y"/^  the  12th  day  of  September,  1818.  His  father  was  a 
substantial  farmer  of  gi'eat  energy  of  character.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Barnes — an  estimable  lady,  an 
affectionate  mother,  and  a  devoted  Christian  woman.  When 
but  a  lad,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  assisted  his  father  in  the  invention 
of  a  machine  for  sowing  cotton-seed,  and  also  a  machine  designed  for 
thinning  young  cotton-plants.  These  machines,  in  modified  foi-ms, 
are  still  used  in  different  parts  of  the  Southern  States.  He  received 
a  primary  education  at  schools  near  his  home ;  and  when  fifteen  or 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  wrote  for  about  one  year  in  the  office  of  Lewis 
M.  Cowper,  the  County  Clerk,  in  copying  records.  Afterwards  he 
taught  school  for  a  short  time.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  engaged  in 
trade  on  his  own  account,  which  he  carried  on  for  several  years,  and 
during  this  time  he  invented  the  screw-propelling  wheel  now  used  in 
ocean  and  other  steamers.  He  took  a  model  of  this  invention  to 
Washington,  with  the  view  of  obtaining  a  patent ;  but  on  his  arrival 
at  the  Patent-of&ce  found  that  he  had  been  forestalled,  the  same  thing 
having  been  deposited  in  the  office  but  a  short  time  previous.  He 
returned  home  greatly  disappointed  in  not  being  able  to  obtain  a 
patent  for  so  valuable  an  invention.  Soon  after,  he  invented  a 
machine  for  sowing  rice  and  other  grain  and  seed  in  drills,  for  which 
he  obtained  a  patent. 

In  1844,  he  moved  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  engaged  in  business 
as  a  clerk  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  William  Adriance,  which  occu- 
pation, however,  he  soon  abandoned,  and  commenced  the  manufac- 
ture and  sale  of  his  seed-sowing  machines,  which  he  improved,  and 
designed  expressly  for  sowing  wheat  in  drills.  For  these  he  found 
ready  sale,  and  for  several  years  carried  on  the  business  with  great 

239 


RICHARD    JORDAN    GATLING. 

success.  He  had  these  machines  made  in  many  places  in  the  States 
of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  and  he  urged  on  farmers  the  advantages  of 
drilling  wheat  over  that  of  the  old  mode  of  broadcast  sowing.  He 
demonstrated  by  the  use  of  his  machines,  that  the  drill  method  of 
sowing  required  less  seed,  and  insured  a  better  yield,  inasmuch  as 
drilling  prevented  the  killing  of  the  young  wheat  by  the  action  of 
the  frost  during  the  winter  and  spring  months.  His  was  the  first 
machine  of  the  kind  introduced  in  the  West  ;  and  he  did  more,  per- 
haps, than  any  other  man  to  encourage  this  mode  of  wheat  culture, 
which  is  now  so  universally  adopted  in  the  West,  and  other  parts 
of  the  United  States. 

While  engaged  in  this  business,  in  traveling  from  Cincinnati  to 
Pittsburgh  on  a  steamer,  he  was  taken  with  small-pox  ;  and  the 
boat  getting  frozen  up  in  the  ice,  he  was  thirteen  days  without 
medical  attendance,  and  came  near  dying  from  neglect.  This 
affliction  induced  him  to  study  medicine,  not  with  the  view  of  prac- 
ticing, but  to  be  able  to  administer  to  his  own  necessities  in  case 
of  future  illness.  He  accordingly  studied  medicine  for  several 
years,  during  which  time  he  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the 
Indiana  Medical  College,  then  located  at  Laporte,  Ind.,  and  after- 
wards another  course  at  the  Ohio  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati, 
and  in  this  way  acquired  the  title  of  "  Doctor."  After  finishing 
his  medical  studies  he  located  at  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  and  engaged 
in  the  purchase,  sale,  and  improvement  of  real-estate,  and  aided 
in  the  construction  of  many  of  the  railroads  leading  to  that  city. 

In  1S49,  he  invented  a  method  of  transmitting  power  from  one 
locality  to  another,  or  rather  distributing  power  from  one  main 
source,  obtained  from  steam  or  water,  to  smaller  powers,  through 
the  medium  or  agency  of  compressed  air  in  pipes,  to  be  used  or 
worked  in  driving  smaller  engines  located  at  different  points,  in 
cities,  mines,  or  tunnels,  &c.  He  tried  for  several  years  to  get  a 
patent  for  the  invention  in  the  United  States,  but  was  defeated,  on 
the  absurd  ground  that  it  was  a  discovery,  and  not  an  invention. 
He,  however,  took  out  several  foreign  patents  for  this  invention  or 
discovery.  Had  he  obtained  a  patent  in  the  United  States,  his 
intention  was  to  get  up  a  joint-stock  company  to  supply  Pittsburgh 
and  other  cities  with  a  cheap  and  safe  motive  power  by  the  erection 
of  large  steam-engines,  at,  say,  the  outskirts  of  a  city,  of  several 
thousand  horse-power,  and  using  the  power  thus  obtained  in  com- 
pressing air  by  pumps,  and  other  suitable  machinery,  into  main 

340 


RICHARD    JORDAN    GATLING. 

pipes,  placed  under  ground  as  gas  or  water  pipes  are  laid,  to  be 
tapped  by  smaller  pipes,  to  drive  small  engines  by  compressed  air 
instead  of  by  steam  ;  such  transmission  and  distribution  of  power, 
he  thought  (and  still  thinks)  could  be  used  in  furnishing  small 
motive  powers  all  over  a  city,  as  they  might  be  required  for  the 
use  of  various  small  manufacturing  establishments  ;  in  elevating 
goods,  driving  printing-presses,  &c.,  &c.  In  this  way  all  the  small 
steam-furnaces  and  coal  deposits  which  blacken  up  a  city,  and 
increase  insurance  risks,  might  be  discarded.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  this  method  of  transmitting  or  distributing  power  from  one 
locality  to  another  is  now  appreciated,  and  used  in  tunneling  and 
in  mining  operations  ;  and,  as  has  been  stated,  there  is  no  reason  why 
the  same  system  may  not  be  used  in  supplying  a  whole  city  with  a 
reservoir  of  power  for  distribution  in  pipes.  Failing  to  obtain  the 
protection  of  a  patent  in  the  United  States,  after  making  repeated 
efforts  to  do  so,  he  made  no  further  expenditure  of  time  or  money 
in  getting  this  then  new  method  of  transmitting  and  distributing 
power  into  practical  use. 

In  1854,  he  married  Miss  Jemima  T.  Sanders,  the  youngest 
daughter  of  Dr.  John  H.  Sanders,  deceased,  who  was  for  many 
years  a  prominent  practitioner  of  medicine  in  the  city  of  Indiana- 
polis, Ind.  In  1857,  he  invented  a  steam-plow,  or  earth-pulver- 
izing machine,  designed  to  be  operated  by  combined  animal  and 
steam  power  ;  the  main  features  of  which  consisted  in  a  portable 
steam-engine  mounted  on  a  kind  of  massive  wagon  bed,  the  power 
of  the  engine  being  employed  in  rotating  a  shaft,  or  drum,  to 
which  were  attached  adjustable  plows,  or  cutters,  to  be  used  in 
pulverizing  the  soil  to  any  required  depth.  The  machine  being  on 
wheels,  was,  in  the  meantime,  guided  and  turned  around  at  the 
end  of  the  headlands  by  oxen,  horses,  or  other  animal  power.  Bad 
health  and  the  low  price  of  grain  in  the  West  at  the  time  prevented 
him  from  working  out  the  details  of  this  invention  to  practical 
use. 

In  1861,  during  the  early  part  of  the  great  civil  war,  he  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  making  a  machine-gun,  which  could  be  loaded 
and  fired  incessantly,  and  with  such  rapidity  as  to  supersede,  in  a 
great  degree,  the  necessity  of  large  armies.  He  made  his  first 
revolving  "  Battery  Gun  "  in  the  city  of  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  and,  in 
the  spring  of  1862,  he  fired  it,  in  its  then  imperfect  state,  at  the 
rate  of  two  hundred  shots  per  minute,  in  the  presence  of  many 

241 


RICHARD    JORDAN    QATLING. 

army  oiBcers  and  of  thousands  of  private  citizens.  Governor  Mor- 
ton, then  Governor  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  and  now  in  the  Senate 
of  the  United  States,  being  favorably  impressed  with  the  invention, 
appointed  a  committee  of  gentlemen  of  high  standing  and  military 
experience  to  examine  and  report  upon  its  merits.  The  following 
is  a  copy  of  their  report : 

"  To  His  Excellency 

"  GovERNOB  O.  P.  Morton. 

"  Sir  :  The  undersigned,  agreeably  to  your  request,  liave  examined  vrith  much 
care  the  revolving  gun  of  Dr.  Galling. 

"  They  have  also  witnessed  several  trials  of  it,  both  with  blank  and  ball-cart- 
ridges. 

"  We  are  aware  that  nothing  but  actual  service  in  the  field,  subject  to  all  the 
casualties  of  war,  can  fully  establish  the  utility  of  any  arm  ;  but  in  this  gun,  as  far 
as  we  have  been  able  to  judge,  everything  has  been  anticipated  to  render  it 
effective  under  all  circumstances. 

"  The  lock  is  certainly  ingenious  and  simple  in  its  construction,  and  fully  pro- 
tected from  injury  from  any  cause.  The  barrels  are  so  arranged  as  to  fire  inde- 
pendently of  each  other,  so  that  an  injury  to  one  does  not  affect  the  others.  There 
are  no  complicated  parts,  and  the  common  soldier  can  keep  it  in  order  as  readily 
as  he  can  his  musket.  It  is  so  substantial  as  to  endure  without  injury  the  same 
usage  as  an  ordinary  field-piece.  The  discharge  can  be  made  with  all  desirable 
accuracy  as  rapidly  as  one  hundred  and  fifty  times  per  minute,  and  may  be  con- 
tinued for  hours  without  danger,  as  we  think,  from  overheating.  Two  men  are 
sufficient  to  work  the  gun,  and  two  horses  can  carry  it  over  the  field  with  the 
rapidity  of  cavalry.  The  very  low  price  at  which  the  gun  can  be  made,  ita 
superiority  in  every  respect,  induce  us  to  hope  that  your  Excellency  will  order 
enough  to  be  immediately  constructed  for  a  fair  experiment  in  the  field. 
"  We  are,  very  respectfully, 

"  Your  obedient  servants, 

(Signed)  "T.  A.  Morris. 


"A.  Bai,lweg. 
"D.  Q.  Rose. 


'  Indianapolis,  July  14th,  1863." 


The  date  of  this  report  (July  14th,  1862)  establishes  the 
statement  in  reference  to  the  manufacture  and  firing  of  the  first 
"  Gatling  gun."  Many  other  trials  of  the  gun  took  place  at  Cin- 
cinnati and  Washington  during  the  years  1862  and  1863  ;  and  Dr. 
Gatling  made  many  efiorts  during  these  years  to  get  his  gun 
adopted  by  the  United  States  Government,  without  success.  Having 
great  confidence  in  his  invention,  he  still  persevered,  in  the  hope 
that  it  would  eventually  be  appreciated  and  adopted,  not  only  by 
the  United  States,  but  by  all  other  nations. 

In  the  autumn  of  1862,  he  went  to  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio ; 

243 


RICHARD   JORDAN    GATLING. 

and,  in  the  well-known  establishment  of  Miles,  Greenwood  &  Co., 
had  six  of  his  guns  constructed  ;  but,  about  the  time  they  were 
completed,  the  establishment  was  destroyed  by  fire,  together  with 
the  guns,  patterns,  and  drawings,  subjecting  him  to  heavy  pecu- 
niary loss.  Shortly  afterward,  he  had  twelve  of  his  "  batteries  " 
manufactured  at  the  Cincinnati  Type-Foundry  and  Printing-Press 
Manufacturing  Establishment ;  some  of  which  arms  were  after- 
ward used  by  General  Butler  in  repelling  Confederate  attacks 
made  on  the  Union  forces  near  Kichmond,  Va.  The  use  of  these 
weapons  greatly  astonished  the  enemy,  and  caused  them  to  in- 
quire what  gun  was  it  the  Yankees  had  that  "loaded  all  night 
and  fired  all  day  ?" 

The  American  press  of  1862  and  1863  teemed  with  accounts 
of  trials  of  the  gun  ;  and  during  all  this  period,  no  notice  of  a  simi- 
lar weapon,  at  least,  of  none  equaling  or  approaching  the  "  Gatling 
battery,"  in  the  rapidity  of  its  firing,  appeared  in  any  of  the 
papers  published  in  America  or  Europe. 

Dr.  Gatling  made  no  effort  to  keep  his  invention  a  secret,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  published  full  descriptions  of  the  gun,  with  cuts 
and  diagrams,  and  sent  them  to  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world. 
He  stated  in  these  descriptions  that  his  invention  consisted  of  a 
gun  formed  of  a  "  series  of  barrels,"  parallel  to  each  other,  arranged 
around  a  "central  shaft,"  and  that  "  each  of  the  barrels  was  fur- 
nished with  its  own  appropriate  lock,  or  firing-mechanism."  He 
also  described  it  as  a  "compound  machine  gun" — that  is,  many 
guns  in  one.  At  the  time  he  made  these  publications,  that  "  mys- 
terious French  mitrailleuse,"  of  which  we  have  since  heard  so  much, 
was  not  invented, — indeed,  not  even  thought  of.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  French  and  Montigny  mitrailleuses  are  composed  of  a 
number  of  barrels,  and  have  a  lock,  or  firing-device,  for  each  barrel ; 
and,  for  reasons  submitted  hereafter,  it  is  but  reasonable  to  suppose 
this  feature  of  a  gun,  formed  of  many  barrels  and  many  locks,  was 
copied  from  the  American  invention. 

Being  desirous  of  making  his  invention  known  to  the  French 
Government,  Dr.  Gatling  addressed,  on  the  29th  of  October,  1863, 
a  letter,  accompanied  with  a  full  description  of  his  battery  gun,  to 
Major  E..  Maldon,  of  the  French  Artillery,  with  the  request  that 
he  would  deliver  them  to  his  Majesty  the  Emperor.  That  the 
invention,  in  its  then  condition,  without  the  valuable  improvements, 
subsequently  "excited  a  profound  interest"  with  the  Emperor  and 

243 


RICHARD   JORDAN    GATLING. 

artillerists  of  France,  the  following  translation  of  a  letter  from 
Major  Maldon  will  show  : 

"  Ministry  of  Wak— CoMMrriEE  of  Artilleuy, 
"  Paris,  November  30, 1863. 

"  Sir  :  I  read  the  letter  you  addressed  to  me  on  the  29th  of  last  October,  and 
communicated  it  to  the  private  office  of  the  Emperor. 

"  In  consequence  of  the  answer  received,  I  have  to  tell  you  that  your  cannon 
has  excited  a  profound  interest,  and  I  ask  of  your  kindness  to  answer  the  following 
questions  that  have  been  proposed  to  me : 

"  1st.  What  are  the  results  of  the  tests  in  regard  to  the  precision  at  the  various 
distances  it  was  tried  1 

"  2d.  What  proofs  have  been  made  in  regard  to  the  solidity  of  your  cannon  ? 

"  3d.  What  is  the  weight  of  the  ball,  and  of  the  charge  of  powder,  in  the  com- 
bination which  gives  the  best  results  ? 

"  4th.  Since  your  cannon  has  been  adopted  by  the  Government  of  the  United 
States,  there  should  be  some  official  report  upon  the  proofs  which  has  caused  its 
adoption.    Can  you  send  me  a  copy  of  such  report  1 

"5th.  If  the  information  which  1  ask  you,  and  which,  when  received,  will  be 
transmitted  to  the  Emperor,  should  cause  his  Majesty  to  desire  that  experiments 
be  made  in  France  with  your  system,  under  what  conditions  would  you  consent  to 
send  to  France  a  cannon  complete  with  all  the  munitions  necessary  to  make  con- 
clusive proofs '? 

"  Do  me  the  favor,  sir,  to  reply  to  the  five  questions  which  I  have  placed  before 
you  ;  and,  after  I  have  received  your  reply,  I  will  put  the  matter  under  the  eyes  of 
the  Emperor,  and  cause  you  to  know  the  decision  of  his  Majt  sty. 

"  Receive,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  very  distinguished  consideration. 

"  Tour  servant,  R.  MALDON. 

"  Major  of  Artillery  to  the  Committee  of  Artillery,  Paris. 

"  Mr.  Richard  J.  Gatling,  Indianapolis,  U.  S." 

In  reply  to  this  letter,  Dr.  Gatling  gave  definite  answers  to  the 
questions  asked,  and  then  proposed  to  sell  one  hundred  or  more  of 
his  guns  to  the  French  Government.  This  they  declined,  and, 
before  any  further  negotiations  were  had,  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  jjassed  a  law  forbidding  the  exportation  of  arms  or 
munitions  of  war.  This  correspondence,  it  will  be  seen,  took  place 
in  1863,  and  will  go  far,  as  stated,  to  explain  the  origin  of  that 
'■  mysterious  French  mitrailleuse,"  about  which  so  much  has  been 
said  and  written.  It  is  clear  that  it  was  not  invented  until  after 
the  character  of  the  "  Gatling  battery"  was  made  known  to  the 
French  officials.  When  the  information  was  conveyed  to  them  that 
the  American  battery  was  "  a  compound  machine  gun"  consisting 
of  "many  barrels  and  many  locks,"  is  it  not  fair  to  presume  that 
it  suggested  at  once  to  the  ingenious  French  artisans  the  mitrail- 
leuse, which  is  also  a  compound  gun  composed  of  many  barrels  and 

244 


RICHARD    JORDAN    GATLING. 

many  locks,  but  without  the  rotary  motion  peculiar  to  the  Gatling 
gun  ? 

Dr.  Gatling  continued  to  make  new  experiments  and  new  models 
of  his  guns,  changing  the  details  ;  and,  in  the  latter  part  of  1864, 
he  made  most  valuable  improvements,  chiefly  in  the  lock-mechan- 
ism and  rear  cam.  One  of  these  improved  guns  was  sent  to  Wash- 
ington in  January,  1865,  and  was  submitted  by  General  John  Love 
to  the  Ordnance  Bureau,  and  a  trial  of  the  gun  was  at  once  ordered 
to  be  made,  and  was  made  at  the  Washington  Arsenal  in  the  same 
month.  The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  the  official  report 
of  the  trials  : 

"  Total  weight  of  gun,  exclusive  of  carriage,  324  lbs 

carriage 203  lbs. 

limber 200  lbs. 

'   The  advantages  claimed  for  this  gun  are  : 
"  Ist.  There  is  no  escape  of  gas  at  the  breech. 
"  2d.  There  is  no  recoil  which  can  destroy  its  accuracy. 

"  3d.  It  performs  the  operations  of  loading,  firing,  and  extracting  the  case  by 
simply  revolving  the  crank. 
"  4th.  Accuracy. 
"  5th.  Rapidity  of  fire. 

"  The  gun  certainly  possesses  the  advantage  of  rapidity,  accuracy,  and  loads, 
fires,  &c.,  while  the  barrels  are  revolving. 

"  There  is  no  escape  of  gas  at  the  breech  ;  it  has  one  lock  for  each  barrel,  so 
that  in  the  event  of  one  barrel  or  lock  becoming  disabled,  the  gun  is  still  efficient, 
as  the  rest  of  the  barrels  can  be  used  without  difficulty.' 
The  report  concludes  in  the  following  words  : 
"  All  parts  of  the  gun  worked  well.  J.  VV.  Maclay, 

"  2d  Lieutenant  U.  S.  Artillery." 

The  gun  used  in  this  trial  was  -f^^  inch  caliber.  General  Dyer, 
Chief  of  Ordnance,  being  desirous  of  the  further  development  of  the 
Gatling  system,  suggested  the  construction  of  guns  of  one  inch  cali- 
ber, and  ordered  full  trials  of  them  to  be  made  at  the  Frankfort 
Arsenal,  Philadelphia.  In  order  to  conduct  these  trials  successfully, 
machinery  was  constructed  at  the  Arsenal  expressly  for  making  the 
large  metallic  shells  for  the  one-inch  cartridge.  In  the  meantime, 
eight  of  the  one-inch  caliber  guns  were  made  by  the  Cooper  Fire- 
arms Manufacturing  Company,  at  Philadelphia,  under  the  super- 
intendence of  the  inventor.  As  soon  as  these  arms  were  completed, 
they  were  placed  under  the  charge  of  Colonel  S.  V.  Benet,  the  able 
and  accomplished  ordnance  officer  in  command  of  the  Arsenal,  by 
whom  prolonged  trials  were  made.  Colonel  Benet's  report  of  these 
trials  says  : 

245 


EICHABD    JORDAN    GATLING. 

"  The  gun  worked  smoothly  in  all  its  parts,  and  the  cartridges  were  fed  and  the 
cases  thrown  out  after  firing  with  ease  and  certainty.  The  cartridge  also  worked 
well,  and  no  more  difficulty  is  to  be  experienced  with  it  than  with  any  other  me- 
tallic cartridge  of  similar  construction,  if  indeed  so  much." 

Subsequent  trials  of  the  gun  were  made  at  Washington  and 
at  Fortress  Monroe  ;  after  which  the  United  States  Grovernment 
adopted  the  Gatling  gun,  and,  on  the  24th  of  August,  1866,  gave 
an  order  for  one  hundred  of  them — fifty  of  1-inch  caliber,  and  fifty 
of  Y^fj  inch  caliber,  which  were  made  at  Colt's  Armory,  Hartford, 
Conn.,  and  delivered  in  1867.  The  extracts  of  reports  of  trials, 
dates,  &c.,  are  given  to  show  what  an  ordeal  an  inventor  has 
frequently  to  pass  through  to  get  his  invention  in  use,  and  to  pre- 
serve the  history  of  perhaps  the  most  important  fire-arm  ever 
invented.  Dr.  Gatling  exhibited  two  of  his  guns  in  the  Paris  Ex- 
position in  1 867,  and  they  so  excited  the  curiosity  of  his  Majesty 
Napoleon  III,  that  he  ordered  one  of  them  out  of  the  Exhibition 
for  trial  at  the  Polygon  at  Versailles ;  and  its  rapidity  of  fire,  range, 
and  accuracy,  greatly  astonished  not  only  the  Emperor,  but  all 
other  French  ofiicials  who  witnessed  its  operations.  The  French 
Government  would  no  doubt  have  adopted  the  gun,  had  it  been  a 
French  invention,  or  could  they  have  made  it  secretly  in  their  own 
workshops.  They  debated  the  question  for  a  long  time,  and  the 
Emperor  being  wedded  to  his  pet  mitrailleuse,  it  was  finally  decided 
to  reject  the  Gatling  gun,  and  to  make  the  French  mitrailleuse 
secretly  in  the  workshops  of  Meudon,  which  it  was  supposed  would 
some  day  gain  for  the  French  nation  great  glory,  but  which,  in  the 
hour  of  final  trial  on  the  field  of  battle,  utterly  failed  to  accom- 
plish the  great  results  anticipated.  It  is  no  presumption  to  say, 
that,  had  the  French  adopted  the  Gatling  gun  in  1867,  and  had 
them  made  in  quantities,  the  results  of  the  late  war  with  Germany 
would,  in  all  probability,  have  been  very  dijHferent. 

The  Gatling  gun  has  been  adopted  by  the  United  States,  Russia, 
England,  Turkey,  Hungary,  and  Egypt,  and  will  ultimately,  no 
doubt,  be  adopted  by  all  civilized  nations.  These  arms  are  now 
made  at  Colt's  Armory,  Hartford,  Conn.  ;  by  Paget  &  Co.,  "Vienna, 
Austria  ;  by  Sir  William  Armstrong  &  Co.,  Elswick  Works,  New- 
castle-on-Tyne,  England  ;  and  at  Nobel's  works,  in  St.  Petersburg, 
Russia. 

Dr.  Gatling  has  given  ten  years  of  his  life  to  the  invention  and 
improvement  of  the  gun  which  bears  his  name.     He  has  recently 

346 


RICHARD    JORDAN    GATLINQ. 

greatly  improved  it,  by  shortening  the  locks  and  the  breech,  there- 
by reducing  its  weight  without  lessening  its  effectiveness.     It  may 
now  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  perfect  fire-arms  in  existence 
The  gun  differs  from  all  other  fire-arms  in  the  following  particu- 
lars :  It  has  a  number  of  barrels,  all  parallel,  arranged  around  a 
central  shaft  (usually  ten  in  number),  with  a  lock  to  each  barrel, 
located  in  the  inner  breech,  on  a  line  with  the  barrels  ;  and  all  of 
these  parts  revolve.     Many  fire-arms  had  been  previously  invented, 
in  which  the  breech  revolved,  as  in  the  Colt's  pistol ;  others,  again, 
in  which  the  barrels  revolved,  as  in  the  old  "  pepper-box  "  pistol ; 
and  all  of  such  arms  were  fired  by  means  of  a  stationary  lock.    But 
no  arm  was  ever  constructed,  before  the  invention  of  the  Gatling 
gun,  in  which  the  three  parts,  viz.,  breech,  barrels,  and  locks,  all 
revolve  together,  and  continuously,  while  being  fired.     There  is 
developed   in   the   construction  of  the  Gatling   gun   a   beautiful 
mechanical  principal,  viz.,    that  while  the  gun  itself  is  under  a 
uniform  constant  rotary  motion,  the  locks  rotate  with  the  barrels, 
carrier,  and  inner  breech,  at  the  same  time  ;  have  a  longitudinal 
and  spiral  reciprocating  motion  ;  and  perform  ihe  consecutive  opera- 
tions of  loading,  cocking,  and  firing  without  any  pause  whatever 
in   the   several  and  continuous  operations.     In  other  words,  the 
whole  operation  of  loading,  closing  the  breech,  discharging,  expel- 
ling the  empty  cartridge  shells,  is  conducted  while  the  barrels  are 
kept  in  continuous  revolving  movement.   It  is  impossible  to  fire  the 
gun  when  the  barrels  are  at  rest. 

The  gun  is  revolved  by  means  of  a  crank.  The  cartridges  are 
fed  to  the  gun  from  cases  or  feed-drums,  and  they  can  be  discharged 
at  the  rate  of  400  shots  per  minute. 

The  inventive  genius  of  Dr.  Gatling  has  not  been  confined  to 
the  before-mentioned  valuable  contributions  to  mechanical  science, 
but,  in  addition  thereto,  the  records  of  the  United  States  Patent- 
office  furnish  evidence  of  much  that  future  years  may  yet  bring 
forth.  The  great  success  of  the  Gatling  gun,  now  a  fait  accompli, 
will  doubtless  enable  him  to  turn  his  attention  to  his  other  inven- 
tions, and  present  them  to  the  public.  Dr.  Gatling  is  a  true  rep- 
resentative of  American  energy  and  perseverance,  qualities  specially 
his  own.  He  has  been  an  indefatigable  worker  against  difficulties 
that  would  have  discouraged  any  but  the  most  resolute.  Conscious 
of  the  merit  of  his  undertakings,  he  has  labored  on,  with  faith  un- 
diminished and  zeal  unabated,  until  his  efforts  have  been  appre- 

247 


RICHARD    JORDAN    GATLINQ. 

ciated,  and  success,  gratifying  to  record,  is  the  result.  His  genial 
nature  and  warm  heart  have  won  for  him  many  friends  wherever 
he  has  traveled ;  and  his  sojourn  in  Europe  during  the  Paris  Expo- 
sition of  1867  will  always  be  remembered  with  much  pleasure  by 
those  brought  in  contact  with  him. 

The  necessity  of  a  close  superintendence  of  the  manufacture  of 
the  Gatling  gun  has  decided  the  Doctor  to  take  up  a  permanent 
residence  in  the  beautiful  city  of  Hartford,  where  his  new  home, 
under  the  hospitable  charge  of  himself  and  wife,  will  add  to  the 
attractions  of,  as  it  will  certainly  prove  a  desirable  acquisition  to, 
the  capital  of  Connecticut. 

248 


■l?^'~ 


^i^^^^^^i^-^^ 


JOHN    W.    GEARY, 

GOVffiBNOK    OF    PBNNSYHiVANIA.. 

By  EUGENE  L.  TOWNSEND. 


■*lfe 


•-(:^ 


N  the  record  of  our  national  history  for  the  past  quarter 

^y  V   of  a  century  there  are  few  prouder  names  than  that  of 

%i^^  John  W.  Geary,  Brevet  Major-General  of  Volunteers, 

and  now  Governor  of  the  great  State  of  Pennsylvania. 


/'^  His  career  has  been  as  successful  as  eventful,  and  his 
merit  commensurate  with  his  reward.     Endowed  with  the 

talent  and  skill  to  direct,  together  with  a  natural  or  innate 

faculty  for  leadership,  rendered  more  eifective  by  a  fine  personal 
presence,  he  may  be  truly  classed  among  those  "born  to  com- 
mand." Added  to  this,  a  mind  remarkably  clear  in  perception, 
accurate  iu  judgment,  and  persistent  in  action,  and  we  have  the 
groundwork  of  a  genius  which  development  has  proved  fully  equal 
to  the  various  situations,  calling  forth  rare  energy  and  ability  in  the 
many  important  positions  he  has  so  eminently  filled.  Constituted 
with  a  love  of  justice  and  truth,  with  a  conscience  ever-watchful, 
and  with  a  will  holding  under  complete  control  the  most  dangerous 
passions  of  man's  nature,  he  has  avoided  vices  which  have  brought 
ruin  upon  so  many  of  our  gifted  public  men,  and  has  conspicuously 
illustrated  that  higher  standard  of  American  character,  based  upon 
both  virtue  and  genius,  which  must  command  the  respect  and  admi- 
ration of  any  people. 

John  White  Geary,  at  present  (1871)  Governor  of  his  native 
State,  was  born  in  an  humble  log  house,  in  Westmoreland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  30th  of  December,  1819.  His  early  educa- 
tional advantages  were  necessarily  limited  ;  still,  through  many 
trials  incident  to  the  death  of  liis  father,  and  pecuniary  embarrass- 
ments consequent  upon  that  event,  his  native  energy  brought  him 
out  triumphant,  and  he  graduated  as  a  civil  engineer,  with  high 
honors,  at  Jefierson  College.  After  this,  he  followed  civil  engineer- 
ing in  his  own  and  neighboring  States  ;  and  also  studied  law,  was 

admitted  to  the  bar,  but  never  practiced. 

24d 


JOHN    W.    GBAET. 


He  participated  in  the  war  between  Mexico  and  the  United 
States  as  Colonel  of  the  2d  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  and  won  many- 
laurels  in  that  bloody  conflict. 

On  the  22d  of  January,  1849,  the  appointment  as  Postmaster 
of  San  Francisco,  California,  was  conferred  upon  him  by  President 
Polk.  Scarcely  had  he  effected  an  expeditious  system  of  operation 
in  this  department  before  he  was  relieved  from  duty  by  the  acces- 
sion of  General  Taylor  to  the  Presidency.  Within  eight  days 
from  his  retirement,  Colonel  Geary  was  unanimously  elected  first 
Alcalde  of  the  town  of  San  Francisco.  The  duties  of  this  office 
were  exceedingly  onerous  and  important,  embracing  the  functions 
of  Sheriff,  Probate  Judge,  Recorder,  Notary  Public,  and  Coroner. 
Immediately  succeeding  this  mark  of  confidence  on  the  part  of  the 
citizens.  Governor  Riley  confirmed  him  as  Judge  of  First  Instance 
of  the  district.  By  virtue  of  these  positions.  Judge  Geary  was,  in 
fact,  the  public  guardian  in  both  the  civil  and  criminal  depart- 
ments. He  continued  to  fill  these  offices,  until  our  system  of  city 
government  superseded  the  Mexican  establishment. 

Under  the  first  city  charter.  Judge  Geary  was  chosen  Mayor  of 
San  Francisco.  His  administration  was  marked  with  rare  ability, 
combining  firmness  of  purpose— harmoniously  governing  what  had 
hitherto  been  a  most  demoralized  community;  economy  of  expend- 
iture— thereby  sustaining  the  municipal  credit  ;  and  discharging 
his  duties,  unmindful  of  the  claims  of  friends  or  threats  of  foes. 

In  July,  1856,  Colonel  John  W.  Geary  was  appointed  Governor 
of  Kansas.  The  condition  of  affairs  at  that  period  was  most 
deplorable.  The  sanctity  of  the  ballot  had  been  violated,  the  torch 
of  the  incendiary  flamed  throughout  the  territory,  products  of  the 
land  were  destroyed,  sacred  edifices  were  desecrated,  woman's  vir- 
tue degraded,  and  the  dagger  of  the  assassin  gleamed  in  broad  day- 
light. 

Pronouncing  "  Equal  and  exact  justice  to  all"  as  the  eminent 
principle  of  his  administration,  and  proclaiming  "The  Constitution 
of  the  United  States  and  the  organic  laws  of  the  Territory  will  be 
the  lights  by  which  I  shall  be  guided  in  my  executive  career," 
Governor  Geary  was  enabled,  by  the  21st  of  September,  to  announce 
to  the  Secretary  of  State  at  Washington  that  "  Peace  now  reigns  in 
Kansas."  In  all  the  trying  circumstances  which  surrounded  him, 
presence  of  mind  never  forsook  him.  He  was  equal  to  any  emer- 
gency, and  succeeded  in  placing  the  peace  of  the  Territory  upon  a 

250 


JOHN    W.    GEARY. 

permanent  basis  "  without  the  shedding  of  one  drop  of  fratricidal 
blood."  His  resignation  on  the  4th  of  March,  1S57,  closed  a  most 
successful  era  in  the  life  of  a  patriotic  citizen. 

The  breaking-out  of  the  great  Civil  War  called  to  the  front  the. 
true  and  tried  men  of  the  country,  and  in  sucli  an  emergency  John 
W.  Geary  could  not  take  other  than  a  most  conspicuous  part. 
Promptly  tendering  his  services  to  the  Government  in  1861, 
President  Lincoln  commissioned  him  to  organize  a  regiment 
under  the  first  call  for  volunteers.  His  command,  consisting  of  six- 
teen companies,  and  a  battery  of  six  guns,  having  been  fully  equip- 
ped, he  joined  Banks's  corps  at  Maryland  Heights  ;  and,  on  the  16th 
October,  1S61,  was  fought  the  battle  of  Bolivar,  during  which 
action  he  was  wounded  in  the  right  knee.  On  the  25th  of  April, 
1862,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General,  and 
assigned  to  the  command  of  the  1st  Brigade,  2d  Division,  2d  Corps. 
In  the  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain,  on  the  9th  of  August  following, 
General  Geary  was  wounded  slightly  in  the  left  foot  and  severely 
in  the  left  arm.  On  the  fields  of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg, 
his  command  was  actively  engaged  with  the  Confederate  forces  ;  and 
in  th(_'  course  of  those  protracted  struggles  he  was  remarked  for  the 
almost  reckless  manner  in  which  he  exposed  his  person,  and  for  the 
persistence  with  which  he  led  his  division  against  a  stubborn  foe. 
At  Chaccellorsville  he  was  seriously  wounded  in  the  breast,  and  it 
is  doubtful  if  he  will  ever  entirely  recover  thereiVom. 

In  the  fall  of  1863,  General  Geary,  still  at  the  head  of  his  old 
division,  was  transferred,  with  the  12th  Corps,  to  the  Army  of  the 
South-west,  under  the  command  of  General  Grant.  A  number  of 
engagements  followed,  but  in  the  battle  of  Wauhatchie  it  was 
delegated  to  Geary's  Division  to  fight  the  enemy  alone.  It  was  in 
this  action  that  liis  eldest  son.  Captain  Edward  E.  Geary,  com- 
manding one  of  the  sections  of  Knapp's  Battery,  fell  while  sight- 
ing a  gun — a  bullet  piercing  his  forehead.  He  was  only  nineteen 
years  of  age,  but,  as  an  artilleryman,  he  had  no  superior  in  the 
service. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  on  Lookout  Mountain,  or,  as  it  is 
termed,  in  ''  the  Battle  above  the  Clouds,"  General  Geary's  com-- 
juand  was  selected  to  make  the  attack,  and  fully  sustained  its  well- 
earned  reputation,  driving  the  enemy  before  it,  and  capturing 
2,100  prisoners  and  a  large  amount  of  ammunition  and  stores. 

In  the  spring  of  1864,  the  Atlanta  Campaign  was  inaugurated, 

251 


JOHN    W.    GEARY. 

and  it  will  be  sufficient  to  state  that  General  Geary  participated  in 
the  battles  of  Mill  Creek  and  Snake  Gaps,  May  8th ;  Resaca,  May 
15th  ;  New  Hope  Church,  May  26th,  and  for  eight  days  follow- 
ing ;  Pine  Hill,  June  15th  ;  Muddy  Creek,  June  17th ;  Nose's 
Creek,  June  lOtli ;  Kolb's  Farm,  June  22d  ;  Kenesaw,  June  27th  ; 
Marietta,  July  3d  ;  Peach-tree  Creek,  July  20th  ;  and  the  Siege 
of  Atlanta,  which  culminated,  on  the  2d  of  September,  in  the  cap- 
ture of  that  city.  To  employ  his  own  words,  "  The  campaign,  from 
its  opening  to  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  was  really  a  one  hundred  days' 
fight,  and  may  be  termed  a  continuous  battle  crowned  with  con- 
stant victory." 

General  Sherman  took  General  Geary  with  him  in  his  "  March 
to  the  Sea  ;"  and  in  this  movement  the  division,  with  its  commander, 
played  their  accustomed  part.  After  the  fall  of  Fort  McAllister, 
General  Geaiy  received  the  surrender  of  the  city  of  Savannah,  and 
was  appointed  Military  Governor  by  General  Sherman.  While  ful- 
filling the  duties  of  this  post,  the  brevet  rank  of  Major-General  of 
Volunteers  was  conferred  upon  him,  for,  as  the  commission  reads, 
"fitness  to  command  and  promptness  to  execute." 

In  1866,  General  Geary  was  nominated  Governor  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  elected  by  a  majority  of  seventeen  thousand.  On 
the  15th  of  January,  1867,  he  was  inaugurated  at  Harrisburg,  the 
State  Capital.  He  took  a  decided  stand  against  what  he  designated 
as  ignorant,  careless,  extravagant,  and  corrupt  legislation  ;  but  his 
chief  force  was  directed  against  what  is  termed  special  legislation, 
or  the  enactment  of  laws  tending  to  promote  individual  interests  at 
the  expense  of  the  public  welfare;  and,  to  this  end,  he  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  refuse  his  sanction  to  certain  special  laws,  although  designed 
to  benefit  his  own  party. 

Governor  Geary,  on  different  occasions,  submitted  to  the  Legisla- 
ture his  views  on  the  "  Investment  of  State  Funds  " — "  Economy  in 
Disbursement " — "  Development  of  the  State's  Resources  " — "  Im- 
portance of  Universal  Education" — "  The  Necessity  of  Providing 
for  Soldiers  and  their  Families  in  the  Patronage  of  the  State,  and 
Establishing  Homes  and  Schools  for  Soldiers'  Widows  and  Or- 
phans"— "General  Subject  of  Pardons,  and  Regulations  for  the 
Same  ;"  and  "  Payment  of  the  National  Debt,  and  Reduction  of  the 
State  Debts,"  etc.,  etc.  His  sympathy  with  the  working  classes  has 
always  been  of  the  liveliest  character,  and  was  evinced  by  the  advo- 
cacy of  a  law  intended  to  reduce  the  number  of  hours  of  daily  labor. 


JOHN    W.    GEARY. 

and  to  give  additional  time  for  rest,  recreation,  and  improvement. 
He  is  a  Protectionist  from  principle,  believing  that  free  trade  is 
opposed  to  the  prosperity  of  American  industries. 

In  1868,  Gov.  Geary  was  renominated,  and  re-elected  to  fill  the 
important  office  which  he  now  holds. 

His  fitness  for  governing,  his  wisdom  and  foresight  and  courage, 
have  been  signally  demonstrated  on  many  important  occasions.  We 
need  not  enter  into  details,  but  will  simply  recall  an  emergency, 
recent  and  well-remembered,  which  evoked  these  virtues  in  a  most 
conspicuous  manner. 

During  the  month  of  February,  1871.  a  disagreement  occurred 
between  the  miners  and  the  owners  of  the  coal-mines  in  the  Mahonoy 
district  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  which  threatened  the  most 
serious  consequences,  and  caused  wide-spread  apprehension  through- 
out the  country  lest  there  might  be  an  insufiicient  supply  of  coal 
in  the  market.  Thousands  of  men  ceased  their  Icbors,  and  a  riot 
became  imminent.  Governor  Geary  appreciated  the  situation,  and 
proved  himself  equal  to  the  occasion.  A  body  of  military  was 
immediately  dispatched  to  the  disaffected  region,  and  the  firmness 
of  purpose  evidenced  on  the  part  of  the  Governor,  together  with  his 
skillful  treatment  of  the  case,  not  only  prevented  the  shedding  of 
blood  in  a  conflict  whose  results  would  have  been  most  lamentable 
and  sanguinary,  but  also  brought  about  an  amicable  arrangement 
between  the  contending  parties.  In  this  controversy  Governor 
Geary  espoused  the  cause  of  the  masses  against  moneyed  corpora- 
tions— the  rights  of  labor  against  the  tyranny  of  capital ;  and  the 
wisdom  of  his  course  is  now  generally  conceded. 

In  the  Capitol  grounds  at  Harrisburg  is  an  enduring  memorial 
of  his  administration.  It  is  a  monument  erected  to  commemorate 
the  heroic  deeds  of  our  brave  men  who  fell  in  the  conflict  with 
Mexico,  and  is  composed  of  a  Corinthian  column  of  marble,  about 
ninety  feet  high,  on  a  square  pedestal,  surmounted  by  a  statue  of 
the  Angel  of  Victory  sculptured  in  Italy  from  the  purest  Carrara 
marble,  and  imported  expressly  for  the  purpose.  Surrounding  the 
monument  is  a  fence  constructed  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  mus- 
kets, which  were  in  actual  u.se  during  the  Mexican  War.  The 
effect  of  the  whole  is  exceedingly  beautiful,  and  reflects  great 
credit  upon  the  artistic  taste  of  Governor  Geary,  who  originateo 
and  carried  out  the  idea  to  completion. 

In  so  brief  a  sketch,  but  faint  justice  can  be  awarded  to  one  who 

253 


JOHN    W.    GEARY. 

has  been  ti'ied  in  nearly  every  department  of  the  public  service,  and 
whose  energy  and  administrative  talents  have  won  not  merely  suc- 
cess, but  the  approbation  of  his  fellow-citizens.  His  record,  in  a 
word,  has  been  that  of  an  efficient  soldier,  an  able  statesman,  and  a 
disinterested  patriot 

Since  the  first  edition  of  this  work  was  issued.  Governor  Geary 
retired  from  office,  his  second  term  having  expired  January  21st, 
1873. 

A  review  of  his  administration  shows  an  independent  course  of 
action  free  from  the  partizanship  that  is  the  bane  of  true  statesman- 
ship. Many  of  his  most  important  recommendations  have  become 
laws,  after  due  consideration  by  the  General  Assembly  ;  and  many 
of  the  evils  to  which  he  called  attention  have  been  restrained,  if  not 
altogether  removed.  His  vetoes  of  bills  are  numbered  by  the  hun- 
dred, and  all  but  four  of  them  were  sustained  by  the  Legislature. 
A  reduction  of  nearly  one-  third  of  the  entire  State  debt  in  the  past 
six  years — notwithstanding  a  continuous  reduction  of  taxes — is 
ample  proof  of  his  capacity  as  a  financier.  Inspired  with  a  public 
zeal  that  knew  no  bounds,  with  tireless  energy  he  laljoi'ed  unceas- 
ingly, winning  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  masses  of  ail  par- 
ties, but,  as  a  result,  left  the  Executive  chair  with  his  original  robust 
constitution  gi-eatly  impaired. 

Upon  his  retirement,  the  Ex-Govemor  fixed  his  residence  in  Har- 
risburg,  and,  instead  of  allowing  himself  the  rest  he  so  much  needed, 
became  at  once  immersed  in  active  business  schemes.  But  the 
ceaseless  strain  of  public  duty  had  done  its  work  upon  his  stalwart 
frame  and  vigorous  constitution.  On  Saturday  morning,  February 
8th,  1873,  as  he  sat  at  breakfast  with  his  family,  and  apparently  in 
his  usual  health,  his  head  dropped  suddenly  upon  his  breast,  and, 
without  a  struggle  and  instantaneously,  he  passed  into  the  rest  above. 
No  words  can  picture  the  sorrow  that  his  death  produced  in  the 
Capital  and  throughout  the  Commonwealth.  The  united  press  of 
the  State  and  the  leading  papers  of  the  country  recited  his  deeds  at 
length,  and  honored  his  memory  by  fitting  notices.  The  honors  of 
a  public  funeral,  under  the  direction  and  at  the  expense  of  the  State, 
were  unanimously  voted  by  the  Legislature,  and  his  funeral  was 
attended  by  a  most  imposing  display,  both  civil  and  military.  His 
remains  lie  buried  in  a  lovely  spot  in  Mount  Kalma  Cemetery,  over- 
looking the  city  and  the  broad,  majestic  Susquehanna. 

254 


:.:.o'by3arony 


/^-i  /KCJ^^^<=L^^^y 


HORACE    GREELEY. 


j.^i  GRACE  GREELEY,  the  most  distinguished  journal- 
V^l'Ai^vsSr  ist  America  has  produced,  was  born  at  Amherst, 
^{W^^i^y^  Hillsborough  County,  New  Hampshire,  on  the  3rd 
&  isff^^  of  February,  1811.  He  was  the  son  of  Zaccheus  and 
''' Ai|^  Maiy  (Woodburn)  Greeley,  and  his  father  was  a  plain, 
■?a  hardworking  farmer,  struggling  to  pay  for  land  which  he 
^^■'  had  bought  at  a  high  price,  and  Mr.  Greeley's  earliest  years 
were  passed  in  such  farm  labor  as  a  mere  boy  was  equal  to — in  riding 
horse  to  plow,  in  picking  stones,  and  in  watching  the  charcoal  pits. 
He  was  a  feeble,  sickly  child,  often  under  medical  treatment.  His 
mother  had  lost  her  two  former  children  just  before  his  own  birth, 
which  led  her  to  regard  him  with  more  than  common  tenderness  and 
anxiety.  From  the  first  he  manifested  signs  of  extraordinary 
intelligence.  These  his  mother,  a  woman  of  uncommon  intelli- 
gence and  information,  marked  with  affectionate  interest.  She  was 
a  great  reader,  and  she  naturally  imparted  to  her  child  the  same  love 
of  books  which  she  herself  entertained.  It  has  been  stated  that  so 
soon  as  he  could  form  any  resolution,  he  determined  to  be  a  printer. 
In  his  third  winter  he  attended  the  district  school  of  Londonderry, 
where  his  maternal  grandfather  resided.  He  was  early  distinguished 
for  his  recitations  and  for  the  skill  which  he  displayed  in  the  spelling 
exei'cises. 

In  his  seventh  year  even  the  limited  success  which  had  attended 
his  father's  farming  ceased,  and  ruin  could  be  no  longer  postponed 
by  unflinching  hard  work.  When  the  child  was  ten  the  ruin  was 
consummated,  and  his  father  was  an  exile  and  fugitive  from  his 
native  State.  He  began  the  hard  business  of  life  again  in  the  town 
of  Westhaven,  Rutland  County,  Vermont,  where  he  was  employed 
by  a  country  gentleman  of  large  estate.  In  1826,  young  Greeley 
entered  the  office  of  The  Northern  Spectator,  at  East  Poultney,  Vt, 

as  an  apprentice  to  the  art  of  printing.     He  was  now  at  the  college 

255 


HORACE     GREELEY. 

of  which  he  was  destined  to  be  one  of  the  most  distinguished  grad- 
uates. It  need  not  be  said  that  he  went  on  acquiring,  for  it  was 
nature  with  him  to  acquire.  He  had  a  plenty  of  newspapers  to  pore 
over,  and  a  tolerable  store  of  books.  He  joined  the  village  Lyceum, 
which  was  also  a  Debating  Society,  of  which  he  was  "the  real 
giant"  His  parents  were  away  upon  a  new  farm  in  Pennsylvania, 
but  twice  he  visited  them,  walking  a  great  part  of  the  distance  of 
600  miles,  and  accomplishing  the  rest  on  a  slow  canal  boat.  At  this 
early  period  he  was  already  a  teetotaler,  and  though  the  apprentice 
boarded  at  a  tavern  where  the  drinking  was  constant,  he  continued  a 
rigorous  abstinent  His  fund  of  information  was  such  that  he  came 
to  be  regarded  as  a  sort  of  walking  encyclopedia,  and  to  him  the 
disputes  of  the  villagers  were  referred.  As  a  printer  he  was  reck- 
oned the  best  workman  in  the  of&ce.  But  the  newspaper  made  no 
money,  and  when  Horace  was  in  his  20th  year  its  publication  was 
discontinued.  He  immediately  looked  out  for  work  elsewhere,  after 
he  had  written  his  parents  in  Pennsylvania,  and  he  obtained  em- 
ployment as  a  journeyman  in  Jamestown  and  Lodi  in  New  York, 
and  Erie,  Pa. 

It  was  in  August,  1831,  that  he  came  to  the  city  of  New  York — 
poor  in  everything  except  good  principles  and  indomitable  energy. 
He  found  employment  first  as  a  compositor,  after  much  difficulty. 
Subsequently  in  co-partnership  with  a  Mr.  Story  he  started  the  Morn- 
ing Post,  the  first  penny  daily  ever  printed  in  the  worid,  and  which 
soon  glided  into  bankruptcy.  The  printing  office  continued,  obtain- 
ing some  job  work,  and  the  concern  was  becoming  comparatively 
prosperous  when  Story  was  drowned.  Mr.  Winchester  came  in,  and 
The  New  YorJcer  was  started.  This  was  a  literary  newspaper  which, 
though  its  publication  was  not  long  continued,  won  an  excellent  rep- 
utation. In  Mr.  Greeley's  autobiography  he  gives  a  touching  ac- 
count of  the  difficulties  which  he  encountered  in  this  enterprise. 
The  newspaper  did  a  fairiy  good  business,  but  it  was  not  profitable 
to  the  proprietors,  and  the  publication  was  stopped  in  184:1.  All 
this  time  Mr.  Greeley  was  eking  out  his  slender  income  by  other 
labors.  He  supplied  leading  articles  to  The  Daily  Whig,  and  had 
previously,  in  1838,  edited  The  Jeffersonian,  a  political  weekly  cam- 
paign paper,  published  in  Albany  and  New  York. .  Everybody  will 
remember  Tlie  Log  Cabin,  the  great  Whig  campaign  newspaper,  which 
Mr.  Greeley  edited  in  the  stormy  contests  of  1840.  The  weekly 
issues  of  The  Log  Cabin  ran  up  to  80,000,  and  with  ample  facilitiea 

256 


HORACE     GREELEY. 

for  printing  and  mailing  might  have  been  increased  to  100,000.  Mr. 
Greeley  afterwards  said  that,  with  the  machinery  of  distribution  now 
existing,  the  circulation  might  have  been  swelled  to  a  quarter  of  a 
million. 

On  the  10th  day  of  April,  1841,  the  first  number  of  the  New 
York  Tribune  was  issued.  It  was  a  small  sheet,  retailed  for  a  cent, 
Whig  in  its  politics,  but,  to  use  Mr.  Greeley's  words,  "a  journal  re- 
moved alike  from  servile  partisanship  on  the  one  hand,  and  from 
gagged  and  mincing  neutrality  on  the  other."  The  editor  went  gal- 
lantly to  his  work.  He  was  thirty  years  old,  in  full  health  and  vigor, 
and  worth  about  $2,000,  half  of  it  in  printing  material.  Mr.  Greeley 
was  his  own  editor.  Mr.  Henry  J.  Raymond,  afterwards  so  cele- 
brated in  journalism,  but  then  a  lad  fresh  from  college,  was  his  first 
assistant — a  post  he  continued  to  hold  for  nearly  eight  years.  Mr. 
George  M.  Snow  took  charge  of  the  Wall  street,  or  financial  depart- 
ment, and  held  it  for  more  than  twenty-one  years.  The  Tribune  was 
started  with  five  hundred  names  of  subscribers,  and  of  the  first 
number  five  thousand  were  either  sold  or  given  away.  The  current 
expenses  of  the  first  week  were  $520 ;  the  receipts  were  $92 ;  but 
soon  the  incDme  pretty  nearly  balanced  the  outgo.  About  six 
months  after  the  commencement  of  The  Tribune,  and  when  it  had 
reached  a  self-sustaining  basis,  Mr.  Thomas  McElrath,  who  had  some 
capital,  took  charge  of  the  business,  leaving  Mr.  Greeley  free  to 
attend  to  the  editorial  department,  and  the  fiimous  firm  of  Greeley 
&  McElrath  was  established.  In  Mr.  Greeley's  autobiography  he 
pays  this  warm  tribute  to  the  business  abilities  of  his  partner  :  "  He 
was  so  safe  and  judicious  that  the  business  never  gave  me  any 
trouble,  and  scarcely  required  of  me  a  thought,  during  that  long  era 
of  all  but  unclouded  prosperity." 

Of  the  subsequent  career  of  The  Tribune  newspaper  under  Mr. 
Greeley,  it  is  hardly  necessary  that  we  should  speak.  Not  more  in 
what  he  wrote  for  it,  than  in  what  others  wrote  for  it,  it  bears  the  im- 
press of  his  vigorous  intellect  and  unswerving  integrity ;  of  his  un- 
ceasing observation  of  public  affairs,  and  of  his  indomitable  industry. 
It  was  a  Whig  newspaper,  but  it  was  never  blindly  and  indiscrimi- 
nately the  newspaper  of  any  party.  It  was  always  the  advocate  of 
a  liberal  protection  to  American  industry,  but  its  editor  constantly 
admonished  the  American  workman  that  by  assiduity  and  intelli- 
gence he  must  protect  himself  It  boldly  discussed  social  questions ; 
it  followed  Fourier  in  his  ideas  of  associated  labor,  without  indors* 

357 


HORACE     GREELEY. 

ing  the  errors  of  his  social  doctrine ;  it  exposed  the  corruptions  of 
New  York  politics,  and  when  the  leaders  of  the  party  threatened  its 
destruction,  it  simply  defied  them,  and  went  on  with  its  valiant  work  ; 
it  fought  for  independence  of  criticism,  and  for  the  right  to  publish 
the  news,  in  the  libel  suit  which  Mr.  Cooper  brought  against  it ;  it 
introduced  a  better  style  of  literary  work  than  was  common  in  news- 
papers at  that  time,  and  employed  the  best  writers  who  were  to  be 
obtained.  It  was  not  too  busy  with  home  affairs  to  forget  the  wrongs 
of  Ireland  ;  and  it  always  rebuked  without  mercy  the  spirit  of  caste 
which  would  reduce  persons  of  African  descent  to  social  degrada- 
tion. Always,  whatever  it  discussed.  The  Tribune,  when  Mr.  Greeley 
had  hardly  anybody  to  help  him  in  its  management  and  conduct, 
was  wide-awake,  vigorous  and  entertaining.  It  never  forgot  those 
who  were  struggling  for  liberty  in  other  lands — whether  they  were 
Irish,  English,  or  French,  Hungarians,  or  Poles.  It  was  the  news- 
paper of'universal  humanit}'. 

In  1848,  Mr.  Greeley  was  elected  a  Member  of  the  House  of  Ee- 
presentatives,  and  he  served  in  that  body  from  December  1st  of  that 
year  to  March  4th,  1849.  His  career  as  a  national  law-maker  was  a 
short  one,  but  he  made  himself  felt.  He  did  not  at  all  mince  mat- 
ters in  writing  to  The  Tribune  his  first  impressions  of  the  House.  In 
the  very  beginning  he  brought  in  a  bdl  to  discourage  speculation  in 
public  lands,  and  establish  homesteads  upon  the  same.  The  abuses 
of  mileage  he  kept  no  terms  with.  Members  did  not  relish  the  ex- 
posure of  their  dishonesty,  but  all  their  talking  did  not  in  the  least 
disturb  Mr.  Greeley's  equanimity.  He  opposed  appropriations  for 
furnishing  members  with  libraries  at  the  jjublic  expense.  No  mem- 
ber was  ever  more  faithful  to  his  duties,  and  no  one  ever  received 
smaller  reward. 

In  1851,  Mr.  Greeley  visited  Europe,  and  in  London  acted  as  one 
of  the  jurors  of  the  Great  Exhibition.  He  also  appeared  before  the 
Parliamentary  Committee  having  under  consideration  the  newspaper 
taxes,  and  gave  important  and  useful  information  respecting  the 
newspaper  press  of  America.  His  letters,  written  during  his  absence, 
are  among  the  most  interesting  productions  of  his  pen.  In  1855, 
Mr.  Greeley  again  visited  Europe  for  the  purpose  mainly  of  attend- 
ing the  French  Exhibition.  In  1856,  he  spent  much  of  the  Winter 
in  Washington,  commenting  for  The  Tribune  upon  the  proceedings 
of  Congress ;  and  it  was  at  this  time  that  he  was  brutally  assaulted 
by  Mr.  Eust,  a  Member  of  Congress  from  Arkansas.     In  1856,  Tht 

258 


HORACE     GREELEY. 

Tribune  was  indicted  in  Virginia — at  least  a  man  was  indicted  for 
getting  up  a  club  to  promote  its  circulation,  and  Mr.  Greeley  was 
indicted  with  him.  It  was  of  little  use  that  the  tone  iu  which  The 
Tribune  discussed  slavery  was  moderate ;  its  crime  was  that  it  dis- 
cussed the  subject  at  all.  The  absurdity  was  in  supposing  that  such 
a  topic  could  be  kept  out  of  the  newspapers. 

In  1859,  Mr.  Greeley  journeyed  across  the  plains  to  California. 
In  Utah  he  had  his  well-known  interview  with  Brigham  Young,  by 
whicli  he  was  more  decidedly  not  convinced  of  the  beauties  of  polyg- 
amy. At  Sacramento  and  San  Francisco  he  had  a  cordial  public 
reception. 

The  National  Convention  of  the  Eepublican  party  met  in  Chi- 
cago, in  May,  1860,  for  the  purpose  of  nominating  a  candidate  for 
the  Presidency.  Mr.  Greeley  attended  the  Convention  as  a  delegate 
for  Oregon,  by  request  of  the  Eepublicans  of  that  State.  The  crisis 
was  an  important  one,  and  the  opinions  of  members  in  regard  to  the 
Presiilential  nomination  were  various.  The  choice  of  Mr.  Greeley 
was  Edward  Bates,  of  St  Xiouis.  "  I  believed,"  says  Mr.  Greeley,  in 
bis  autobiogi'aphy,  "  that  he  could  poll  votes  in  every  slave  State, 
and,  if  elected,  rally  all  that  was  left  of  the  Whig  party  therein  to 
resist  secession  and  rebellion.  If  not  the  only  Republican  whose 
election  would  not  suffice  as  a  pretext  for  civil  war,  he  seemed  to  me 
that  one  most  likely  to  repress  the  threatened  insurrection,  or,  at  the 
most,  to  crush  it"  The  Convention  having  nominated  Mr.  Lincoln, 
with  Mr.  Hamlin  for  Vice-President,  Mr.  Greeley  cheerfully  acqui- 
esced. The  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  followed  by  a  secession  of  several 
of  the  slave  States,  brought  on  the  war.  Mr.  Greeley  has  left  on  record 
the  course  which  at  that  dangerous  and  difficult  moment  he  thought 
it  the  most  prudent  and  advisable  to  pursue.  He  took  the  ground 
that  if  it  could  be  shown,  upon  a  fair  vote,  that  a  majority  of  the 
citizens  of  the  seceding  States  really  desired  such  secession,  then  the 
remaining  States  should  acquiesce  in  the  rupture.  "  We  disclaim," 
he  said,  "  a  union  of  force — a  union  held  together  by  bayonets ;  let 
us  be  fairly  heai-d ;  and  if  your  people  decide  that  they  choose  to 
break  away  from  us,  we  will  interpose  no  obstacle  to  their  peaceful 
withdrawal  from  the  Union."  This  doctrine,  nakedly  stated,  ex- 
posed those  who  propounded  it  to  no  little  misapprehension,  and 
consequent  obloquy.  Mr.  Greeley  always  thought  to  the  end  of  his 
life,  that  if  a  fair  vote  could   be  taken,  it  would  be  found  that  the 

South  was  not  for  secession,  and  that  all  the  efforts  of  the  disunionists 

259 


HORACE     GREELEY. 

had  alienated  but  a  minority  of  the  Southern  States  or  people  from 
the  Federal  Union.  He  even  insisted  that  it  was  because  of  his  cer- 
tainty that  a  majority  of  the  Southern  people  were  not  in  favor  of 
secession,  that  he  urged  the  popular  vote  ;  and  that  the  vote,  wher- 
ever fairly  taken,  fully  confirmed  that  view.  He  believed  that  the 
Confederate  leaders  had  precipitated  action  because  they  feared  that 
delay  would  be  fatal  to  their  schemes.  When  hostilities  had  actually 
commenced,  he  thought  that  the  Qovemment  showed  irresolution 
and  delay.  The  result  was  "  weary  months  of  halting,  timid,  nerve- 
less, yet  costly  warfare,"  while  the  rebellion  might  have  been  stamped 
out  ere  the  close  of  1861. 

In  1864,  Mr.  Greeley  was  engaged  in  another  attempt  at  accom- 
modation. In  consequence  of  overtures  made  by  Clement  C.  Clay, 
of  Alabama  ;  James  P.  Holcombe,  of  Vij-ginia  ;  and  Geoi-ge  N.  San- 
ders, a  plan  of  adjustment  was  submitted  by  Mr.  Greeley  to  Presi- 
dent Lincoln.  This  proposed  the  restoration  and  perpetuity  of  the 
Union  ;  the  abolition  of  slavery  ;  amnesty  for  all  political  offences ; 
the  payment  of  $400,000,000  five  per  cent.  United  States  stock  to 
the  late  slave  States,  to  be  apportioned,  pro  rata,  according  to  their 
slave  population ;  representation  in  the  House  on  the  basis  of  their 
total  population;  and  a  national  convention  to  ratify  the  adjustment 
Mr.  Greeley  believed  a  just  peace  to  be  attainable.  He  thought  that 
even  the  offer  of  these  terms,  though  they  should  be  rejected,  would 
be  of  immense  advantage  to  the  national  cause,  and  might  even  pre- 
vent a  Northern  insurrection.  The  negotiations,  it  is  a  matter  of  his- 
tory, utterly  failed ;  but  it  would  be  difficult  to  show  that  they  did 
any  injury  to  the  cause  of  the  Union.  In  connection  with  the 
Eichmond  negotiation,  which  was  simultaneous,  they  showed  that 
"  the  war  must  go  on  until  the  Confederacy  should  be  recognized  as 
an  independent  power,  or  till  it  should  be  utterly,  finally  overthrown ;" 
"  and  the  knowledge  of  this  fact,"  said  Mr.  Greeley  afterwards,  "  was 
worth  more  than  a  victory  to  the  national  cause." 

The  final  victory  of  the  Union  arms  was  clouded  by  the  assassin- 
ation of  President  Lincoln.  Mr.  Greeley  summed  up  his  estimate 
of  Mr.  Lincoln's  character  by  saying:  "We  have  had  chief- 
tains who  woixld  have  cmshed  out  the  rebellion  in  six  months,  and 
restored  the  Union  as  it  was,  but  God  gave  us  the  one  leader  whose 
control  secured  not  only  the  downfall  of  the  rebellion,  but  the  eter- 
nal overthrow  of  human  slaveiy  under  the  flag  of  the  great  Kepub- 

lic." 

360 


HORACE     GKEELET. 

In  1864,  Mr.  Greeley  was  a  Presidential  Elector  for  the  State  of 
Now  York,  and  a  Delegate  to  the  Philadelphia  Loyalists'  Conven- 
tion. 

The  war  finally  over,  and  the  Union  restored,  so  far  as  operations 
in  the  field  could  restore  it,  Mr.  Greeley's  mind  was  at  once  turned 
to  projects  of  real  and  substantial  pacification.     The  armies  of  the 
short-lived  Confederacy  were  scattered,  and  its  great  chief  was  a  pris- 
oner in  the  liands  of  the  Federal  authorities— an  unwelcome  embar- 
rassment, since  the  Government  could  much  better  have  connived  at 
his  escape  from  the  country.     He  could  have  been  tried  for  treason  ; 
but  his  conviction  was  by  no  means  certain  should  he  be  brought  to 
trial.     Meanwhile  his  imprisonment  was  prolonged  with  what  Mr. 
Greeley  thought  to  be  "  aggravations  of  harsh  and  needless  indig- 
nity."    He  could  not  be  tried  summarily  by  court-martial  and  shot ; 
if  tried  by  a  civil  court,  he  could  not  possibly  be  convicted  at  any 
point  where  he  could  legally  be  tried.     The  provisions  of  the  Fed- 
eral Constitution  were  explicit,  that  "  in  all  criminal  prosecutions,  the 
accused  should  enjoy  the  right  to  a  speedy  and  public  trial,  by  an 
impartial  jury  of  the  State  and  district  wherein  the  crime  shall  have 
been  committed."     Mr.   Greeley   said  frankly  to   the   attorney    for 
Davis,  that  if  his  name  was  necessary  upon  a  bail  bond,  it  would  not 
be  withheld.     When  apprised  that  his  name  was  needed,  he  went  to 
Eichmond,  and,  with  Mr.  Gerrit  Smith   and  others,  signed  the  bond 
in  due  form.     The  act  has  been  grossly  misrepresented,  and  used  for 
partisan  purposes  in  the  unfairest  way.     It  cost  Mr.  Greeley  fair 
hopes  of  political  preferment ;  it  almost  stopped  the  sale  of  his  "  His- 
tory of  the  Eebellion ;"  and  when  he  became  a  candidate  for  the  Pres- 
idency, with  Mr.  Gerrit  Smith  himself  among  his  most  active  oppo- 
nents, the  suretyship  for  a  criminal  whom  the  Government  never 
tried,  and  never  had  intended  to   try,  was  constantly  and  bitterly 
urged  against  him.     The  unfairness  of  this  will  now  be  acknow- 
ledged by  the  most  eager  partisan  of  the  Administration ;  then  it 
was  considered  a  sharp  and  clever  electioneering  expedient. 

In  1867,  Mr.  Greeley  was  a  Delegate  at  Large  to  the  New  York 
State  Convention  for  the  revision  of  the  Constitution,  where  he  was 
prompt  and  efiicient  in  the  performance  of  his  ofiicial  duties. 

In  1861,  Mr.  Greeley's  friends  presented  his  name  before  the  Ee- 
publican  Legislative  Caucus  at  Albany  for  United  States  Senator. 
There  were  three  Eepublican  candidates  before  the  caucus,  viz.  :  Mr. 
Greeley,  Ira  Harris,  and  William  M.  Evarts.     Mr.  Greeley  started 

261 


HORACE     GREELEY. 


out  with  a  large  support,  and  for  several  successive  ballots  gained 
largely  upou  his  opponents,  but  was  finally  defeated  in  a  nomination, 
which  would  have  been  equivalent  to  an  election,  by  reason  of  the 
supporters  of  Mr.  Evarts  going  over  in  a  body  to  Mr.  Harris,  which 
secured  his  nomination,   and  of  course   his  election.     During  that 
senatorial  campaign  Mr.  Greeley  was  at  the  West  delivering  lectures, 
and  thence  wrote  to  an  intimate  friend  at  Albany  saying  that  he  had 
heard  it  intimated  that  some  of  his  supporters  at  the  State  capital  were 
inclined  to  "fight  fire  with  fire."     To  this  he  entered  his  earnest  pro- 
test, saying  that,  while  he  should  feel  flattered   with  a  seat  in  the 
United  States  SfSnate,  if  it  should  be  the  unbiased  wish  of  the  LegisW 
tare  to  send  him  there,  he  earnestly  hoped  that  no  friend  of  his 
would  do  any  act  to  secure  his  election  the  publication  of  which 
would  cause  such  friend  to  blush.     Six   years  later,  in   1867,  Mi-. 
Greeley's  friends  were  again  anxious  to  send  him  to  the  Senate,  and 
before  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  the  almost  unanimous  expres- 
sion of  the  leading  Eepublicans  of  the  State,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
principal  journals  of  the  party,  favored  his  election.     But  imme- 
diately after  tlie  close  of  the  civil  war  he  had  declared,  as  the  basis 
for  reuniting  the  Eepublic  in  the  bonds  of  friendshi]3  and  brotherhood, 
in  favor  of  "  universal  amnesty  and  impartial  sufii-age."     In  this  he 
was,  as  usual,  in  advance  of  his  party,  though  they  have  since  seen 
the  wisdom  of  his  suggestion,   and  have  substantially  adopted  his 
plan  of  pacification.     Against  the  judgment  of  his  fi-iends,  but  in 
order  that  he  should  not  be  elected  under  any  possible  misapprehen- 
sion as  to  his  views  on  the  pacification  of  the  South,  he  reiterated 
them  just  before  the  meeting  of  the  Legislative  caucus,  in  a  strong 
and  vigorous  article  in   The  Tribune,  over  his  own  signature.     This 
threw  him  out  of  line  for  the  Senatorship,  as  he  expected  it  would, 
and  so  said  to  his  intimate  friends,  who  vainly  tried  to  induce  him 
to  suppress  the  article  "  till  after  the  election."     In  1869,  in  a  foriorn 
hope,  after  two  or  three  Eepublican  candidates  who  bad  been  nomin- 
ated had  declined  to  run  for  State  Controller,  he  accepted  the  posi- 
tion, and  though  defeated  in  the  contest,  as  every  one  expected  he 
would  be,  he  ran  ahead  of  the  entii-e  Eepublican  State  ticket,  seven 
candidates  in  all,  with  the  single  exception  of  General  Franz  Sigel, 
who  received  a  considerable  German  vote  which  was  not  cast  for  the 
other  Eepublican  nominees. 

In  1870,  he  ran  for  Congress  in  the  Sixth  District  against  the 
Hon.  S.  S.  Cox,  and,  though  too  ill  to  make  a  single  speech  in  the 


262 


HORACEGREKLEY. 

district,  he  reduced  tlie  Democratic  majority  there  from  about  2,700, 
two  years  before,  to  about  1,000,  and  ran  300  ahead  of  General 
Woodford,  the  Republican  candidate  for  Governor  in  1870. 

The  political  year  of  1872  found  the  United  States  in  a  yet  unsat- 
isfactory and  disunited  condition.     The  States  lately  in  revolution 
were  yet  abandoned   almost  entirely  to  anarchy,  with  the  laws  ineffi- 
ciently enforced,  with  a  great  portion  of  the  population  uneasy  and  dis- 
contented, with  the  public  treasm-ies  depleted  by  systematic  robbery, 
and  a  considerable  portion  of  the  inhabitants  groaning  under  what 
they  regarded  as  no  better  than  despotism.     This  was  of  itself,  to 
many  honest  and  patriotic  minds,  a  sufficient  reason  for  opposing  the 
re-election  of  General  Grant;  yet  there  were  others  almost  equally 
weighty.     The  Civil  Service,  by  general  admission,  was  not  what  it 
should  ba    There  were  grave  charges  of  Executive  corraption,  which 
were  not  then  and  have  not  yet  been  satisfactorily  explained.     There 
was  at  least  an  unpleasant  suspicion  of  nepotism  in  the  distribution 
of  the  public  patronage,  which  demanded,  but  did  not  receive,  inves- 
tigation.    There  was  a  general  desire  for  an  honest  Government.     It 
was  under  these  pressing  circumstances  that  the  Liberal  Convention 
met  at  Cincinnati  on  May  1st.     It  was  attended  by  a  vast  delegation 
from  all  parts  of  the  Union.     Mr.  Cari  Schurz,  who  presided,  very 
ably  and  forcibly  stated  the  reason  and  aim  of  the  Convention.     He 
alluded  to  the  "jobbery  and  corruption  stimulated  to  unusual  auda- 
city, by  the  opportunities  of  a  protracted  civil  war  invading  the  pub- 
lic service  of  the  Government,  as  almost  all  movements  of  the  social 
Ijody" — to  "a  public  opinion  most  deplorably  lenient  in  its  judg- 
ment of  public  and  private  dishonesty  " — to  "  a  Government  indulg- 
ing in   wanton  disregard  of  the  laws  of  the  land,  and  resorting  to 
daring  assumptions   of    unconstitutional  power  "—to    "  the  people, 
apparently,  at  least,  acquiescing  with  reckless  levity  in  transgressions, 
thi-eatening  the  very  life  of  oui-  free  institutions."     He  thought  the 
opportunity  "grand  and  full  of  promise."      Judge   Matthews,  of 
Ohio,  subsequently  spoke  of  the  necessity  of  "  emancipating  the  poli- 
tics and  business  of  the  country  from  the  domination  of  rings."    The 
platform  adopted  by  the  Convention,  with  the  accompanying  resolu- 
tions, was  conceived  in  a  similar  spirit.     It  arraigned  the  Adminis- 
tration for  acting  "  as  if  the  laws  had  binding  force  only  for  those 
who  are  governed,  and  not  for  those  who  govern."     It  charged  the 
President  with  "  openly  using  the  powers  and  opportunities  of  his 
high  office  for  the  promotion  of  his  personal  ends  " — with  "  keep- 

263 


HORACE     GREELEY. 

ing  notoriously  unworthy  and  corrupt  men  in  places  of  responsi- 
bility, to  the  detriment  of  the  public  interest  "—with  "using  the 
public  service  of  the  Government  as  a  machinery  for  partisan  and 
personal  influence,  and  interfering  with  tyrannical  arrogance  in  the 
political  affairs  of  States  and  municipalities  " — ^with  "  receiving  val- 
uable presents,  and  appointing  to  lucrative  office  those  who  gave 
them  " — with  resorting  to  ari:iitrary  measures,  and  failing  to  appeal 
"  to  the  better  instincts  and  latent  patriotism  of  the  Southern 
people,  by  restoring  to  them  those  rights,  the  enjoyment  of  which 
is  indispensable  for  a  successful  administration  of  their  local  affairs." 
The  platform  was  m  accordance  with  these  views,  calling  for  local 
self-government,  for  a  reform  of  the  Civil  Service,  for  a  speedy  re- 
turn to  specie  payments,  for  a  removal  of  all  disabilities  imposed  on 
account  of  the  civil  war,  and  pledging  the  Liberal  party  to  maintain 
the  Union,  emancipation,  and  enfranchisement,  and  to  oppose  reopen- 
ing of  the  questions  settled  by  the  Xlllth,  XlVth,  and  XV th  Amend- 
ments. Upon  the  sixth  ballot,  after  various  changes,  Mr.  Greeley 
received  a  clear  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast,  and  was  declared  the 
nominee  of  the  Convention  for  the  Presidency,  and  B.  Gratz  Brown 
was  also  nominated  for  the  Vice-Presidency.  After  many  demonstra- 
tions of  the  warmest  enthusiasm,  the  Convention  adjourned. 

Mr.  Greeley,  in  accepting  the  nomination  of  the  Convention,  took 
the  ground  that  "  all  the  political  rights  and  franchises  which  have 
been  acquired  through  our  late  bloody  convulsion  must  and  shall 
be  guaranteed,  maintained,  enjoyed,  respected  evermore ;"  and  that 
"  all  the  political  rights  and  franchises  which  have  been  lost  through 
that  convulsion  should  and  must  be  promptly  restored  and  re-estab- 
lished, so  that  there  shall  be  henceforth  no  proscribed  class,  and  no 
disfranchised  caste  within  the  limits  of  the  Union,  whose  long- 
estranged  people  shall  reunite  and  fraternize  upon  the  broad  basis  of 
Universal  Amnesty  with  Impartial  Suffrage."  Mr.  Greeley  also  wrote 
strongly  in  favor  of  the  maintenance  of  the  equal  rights  of  all  citi- 
zens, and  of  the  policy  of  local  self-government,  as  contradistin- 
guished from  centralization.  Upon  other  points,  he  advocated  Civil 
Service  Eeform,  a  reservation  of  the  pubhc  lands  for  actual  settlers, 
the  maintenance  of  the  public  faith  and  national  credit,  a  due  care 
for  the  soldiers  and  sailors  of  the  Eepublic ;  and  he  concluded  by 
promising,  if  elected,  to  be  the  President  "  not  of  a  party,  but  of  the 
whole  people."  In  July  following,  Mr.  Greeley  also  received  the 
Domination  of  the  Democratic  Convention  at  Baltimore,  and  he  was 


HORACE     GREELEY. 

now  fairly  before  the  country  as  the  Presidential  candidate  of  two 
great  parties. 

The  canvass  which  followed  developed  a  faculty  in  Mr.  Oreeley 
for  which  he  had  hardly  received  credit — even  from  his  admirej's. 
He  spoke  constantly,  and  in  all  parts  of  the  country  ;  and  the  test 
to  which  he  thus  voluntarily  subjected  himself  was  admitted  by 
almost  universal  consent  to  have  been  nobly  maintained.  He  dis- 
cussed all  the  great  questions  before  the  country  boldly,  and  without 
hesitation  or  concealment  He  was  attended  and  eagerly  listened  to 
on  such  occasions  by  immense  throngs  of  the  people ;  and  he  bore 
the  immense  strain  upon  both  his  physical  and  intellectual  powers 
without  flinching.  He  had,  as  a  matter  of  course,  upon  his  nomina- 
tion, retired  from  the  editorial  charge  of  The  Tribune,  but  he  was  still 
affectionately  welcomed  by  his  old  readers,  with  the  same  cordiality, 
when  he  came  to  speak  to  them  with  the  living  voice. 

The  result  of  the  canvass  is  known  to  alL  Our  system  of  Pres- 
idential elections  is  such  that  a  candidate  may  receive,  as  Mr. 
Greeley  did,  a  large  popular  vote,  and,  at  the  same  time,  a  very 
small  one  in  the  Electoral  Colleges.  Mr.  Greeley  did  not  carry  many 
States,  but  the  results  of  the  Liberal  movement  were  at  once  felt  in 
fresh  promises  from  the  incoming  Administration ;  and  in  an  assur- 
ance, at  least  semi-official,  that  the  errors  and  mistakes  of  which  the 
complaint  had  been  so  loud  would  not  be  repeated.  Mr.  Greeley 
came  back  cheerfully  and  philosophically  to  his  old  Tribune  chair, 
and  girt  himself  for  the  old  work,  which,  alas !  he  was  not  to  con- 
tinue. 

The  strong  physical  and  mental  constitution  of  the  man  was 
already  broken  by  many  cares,  by  enormous  labors,  and  by  the  loss 
of  a  wife  to  whom  he  was  devotedly  attached,  and  who  had  been  for 
so  many  years  his  helper  and  his  cheerer.  For  The  Tribune  he  wrote 
hardly  at  all,  and  at  last  he  was  obliged  to  give  uj?  visiting  the  office 
regularly.  His  sleeplessness  was  followed  by  inflammation  of  the 
brain,  and  under  this  he  rapidly  sank,  dying  Friday,  Nov.  29th,  1872. 
The  earthly  life  which  had  been  so  busy,  so  laborious,  and  so  fruit- 
ful, was  over. 

The  obsequies  of  Mr.  Greeley  were  of  a  kind  rarely  accorded  to 

any  save  great  public  characters.     In  the  pulpits  of  New  York  and 

of  other  cities,  upon  the  subsequent  Sunday,  allusions  were  made  to 

the  event     The  remains  were  taken  to  the  City  Hall,  where  they 

were  visited  by  an  immense  concourse  of  the  population.     Upon  the 

265 


HORACE     GBEELET. 

day  of  the  funeral  the  streets  were  thronged  by  a  crowd  of  specta- 
tors, anxious  to  show  their  respect  for  the  departed.  Among  those 
who  attended  the  funeral  were  the  President  and  Chief  Justice  of 
the  United  States,  several  heads  of  departments,  many  Representa- 
tives and  Senators,  and  State  and  City  officials.  The  services  were 
conducted  by  Rev.  Dr.  Chapin,  pastor  of  the  deceased,  and  by  the 
Rev.  Henry  "Ward  Beecher.  After  these  the  procession  moved  to 
Greenwood,  where  the  remains  of  Mr.  Greeley  were  deposited. 

Such  was  the  life  and  such  the  death  of  Horace  Greeley.  Our 
limits  have  compelled  us  to  epitomize  that  which  might  have  been — 
and,  indeed,  has  already  been — extended  to  volumes.  But  the 
American  pepole  are  already  familiar  to  a  great  extent  with  the  career 
of  one  whose  course  they  were  accustomed  to  watch  with  interest, 
affection,  and  respect.  No  man  was  ever  more  generally  respected — 
no  man  ever  died  more  generally  regretted.  He  has  passed  from  the 
busy  scenes  of  earth,  in  which  he  was  one  of  the  most  useful  and 
busy ;  but  as  the  self-cultivated  man  of  letters,  the  philanthropist, 
the  reformer,  and  the  unsurpassed  journalist,  he  will  be  honorably 
remembered  so  long  as  the  history  of  the  Republic  shall  survive. 

256 


JOHN  HICKMAN. 

By  Edwabd  p.  Needles. 


sj  ON.  JOHN  HICKMAN,  of  Chester  County,  Peun- 
"i^f^AiSirPs  sylvania,  whose  reputation  for  many  years  has  been 
^"h^Y^'^^sy^      national,  was  born  on  the  banks  of  the  Brandywine 


river,  near  the  celebrated  battle  ground,  on  the  anniver- 
(^|d^^SiX  sary  of  the  battle — the  11th  day  of  September,  1810. 
ip^'^M  His  parents  were  remarkable  for  practical  common  sense ; 
O^^'  consequently  they  gave  their  son  the  best  education  that 
could  be  afforded  him.  He  was  thoroughly  schooled  in  mathematics 
and  the  classics.  For  a  considerable  length  of  time  he  was  not 
allowed  to  speak  anything  but  Greek  and  Latin  in  ordinary  family 
intercourse.  His  teacher  was  of  the  family — a  graduate  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Edinburgh. 

Mr.  Hickman  has  been  a  close  student  throughout  his  life.  En- 
tering upon  the  study  of  medicine  in  his  youth,  ill-health,  which 
rendered  him  unable  to  attend  the  dissecting  room,  compelled  him 
to  abandon  that  profession.  He  then  commenced  the  study  of  the 
law,  but  eventually  relinquished  it  in  order  to  study  divinity.  In  a 
short  time,  however,  he  resumed  his  legal  studies,  was  admitted  to 
the  bar,  and  engaged  in  active  practice.  His  career  as  a  lawyer  was 
ore  of  eminent  success.  The  devotion  exhibited  by  him  for  his 
profession  is  acknowledged  by  all  his  contemporaries.  For  fifteen 
months  he  held  the  position  of  District  Attorney,  which  he  then 
resigned.  Mr.  Hickman,  when  attached  to  the  Democratic  party 
also  served  as  Chairman  of  the  State  Central  Committee  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  conducted  a  triumphant  campaign  with  the  utmost 
skill  and  with  unprecedented  economy — not  one  dollar  having  been 
raised  for  electioneering  purposes. 

In  1854  the  Democrats  in  Mr.  Hickman's  district  were  in  a 
minority,  and  in  the  face  of  his  earnest  protest  they  placed  him  in 
nomination  for  Congress.      The  sincerity  of  his  objection  can  be 

267 


JOHN     HICKMAN, 


readily  understood,  when  it  is  known  that  he  had  a  wife  in  delica.e 
health  and  a  family  of  small  children,  requiring  his  attention.  His 
election  was  remarkable.  Although  during  the  canvass  he  continued 
to  attend  to  his  professional  duties,  without  ever  leaving  his  office, 
yet  his  majority  reached  2,656.     He  was  re-elected  in  1856,  1858, 

and  1860. 

While  in  the  Thirty-fourth  Congress  Mr.  Hickman  was  largely, 
if  not  mainly,  instrumental  in  the  election  of  General  Banks  as 
Speaker  of  the  House.  Declining  a  position  of  prominence,  he  was 
placed  on  the  Committee  on  Elections.  This  committee,  it  will  be 
remembered,  originated  the  Kansas  investigation.  The  report  was 
made  by  Mr.  Hickman,  and  he  fought  the  great  fight  against  Alex- 
ander H.  Stephens,  of  Georgia,  who  was  then  regarded  as  the  ablest 
man  in  the  House  of  Eepresentatives.  It  is  a  new  fact  in  history 
that  the  groundwork  of  the  Kansas,  controversy  was  laid  in  West- 
chester, Pennsylvania.  It  occurred  in  this  wise :  Mr.  Hickman,  now 
elected  to  CongTCss,  in  convei'sation  with  a  Free-soil  friend  of  his, 
the  suggestion  was  made  that  the  former  should  institute  an  inquiry 
into  the  Kansas  outrages.  It  was  then  arranged  between  these  two 
gentlemen  that  Governor  Eeeder,  who  had  been  recently  removed 
from  office,  should  become  a  candidate  for  Delegate  to  Congress; 
and  in  the  event  of  a  majority  against  him,  contest  the  seat  of  Mr. 
Whitfield.  This  arrangement  was  carried  into  effect,  and  Mr.  Hick- 
man became  a  cliampion  in  the  contest.  Here  was  the  initial  point 
of  all  the  troubles  with  the  South,  which  ended  in  the  great  civil 

war. 

In  the  Thirty-fifth  Congress  Mr.  Hickman  was  made  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Eevolutionary  Pensions.  During  the  Thu'ty- 
sixth  and  Thirty-seventh  Congress  he  ser\'ed  as  Chairman  of  the 
Judiciary  Committee.  This,  at  the  time,  was  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant Committees  of  the  House,  for  it  existed  during  the  war,  and 
measures  of  the  highest  importance  were  necessarily  brought  be- 
fore it. 

The  celebrated  report  on  President  Buchanan's  protest  of  March 
28, 1860,  was  made  by  Mr.  Hickman  while  chairman  of  this  Com- 
mittee, 'it  at  once  commanded  the  attention  of  the  country  by  rea- 
son of  the  unanswerable  positions  assumed  therein,  the  cogency  of 
the  argimients  employed  to  sustain  these  positions,  and  the  forcible 
manner  of  their  presentation.  This  report  was  made  in  consequence 
of  certain  resolutions  introduced  by  Mr.  Covode  of  Pennsylvania, 

263 


JOHN      HICKMAN. 


which  were  adopted  by  the  House  of  Representatives,  requiring, 
among  other  things,  the  appointment  of  a  Committee  consisting  of 
five  members,  "  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  whether  the  President 
of  the  United  States,  or  any  other  officer  of  the  Government  had,  by 
money,  patronage,  or  other  improper  means,  sought  to  influence  the 
action  of  Congress,  or  any  Committee  thereof,"  etc.  ;  also  "to  iiKiuire 
into  and  investigale  whether  any  officer  and  officers  of  the  Govern- 
ment have,  by  combination  or  otherwise,  prevented  and  defeated,  or 
attempted  to  prevent  and  defeat,  the  execution  of  any  law  or  laws," 
etc. ;  and  "  whether  the  President  had  failed  or  refused  to  compel 
the  execution  of  any  laws,"  etc.  They  also  authorized  "  an  investi- 
gation and  inquu-y  into  the  abuses  at  tlie  Chicago  and  other  post-of- 
fices, and  at  the  Philadelphia  and  other  navy-yards,  and  into  any 
abuses  in  connection  with  the  public  buildings  and  other  public 
works  of  the  United  States."  In  addition  to  the  foregoing  the  reso- 
lutions required  the  Committee  to  inquire  into,  and  ascertain  the 
amount  of  money  used  in  Pennsylvania,  or  arty  other  State  or  States, 
to  carry  elections,  inasmuch  as  the  President  condemned  the  employ- 
ment of  money  for  such  pui-poses  in  his  letter  to  the  Pittsburg  centen- 
ary celebration  of  the  25th  November,  1858.  The  message  was  trans- 
mitted by  Mr.  Buchanan  ia  the  form  of  a  protest  against  this  action 
of  the  House. 

In  his  memorable  reply  to  this  message,  Mr,  Hickman  declared 
that  "the  conduct  of  the  President  is  always  subject  to  the  Constitu- 
tional supei-vision  and  judgment  of  Congress;  whilst  he,  on  the  con- 
trary, has  no  such  power  over  either  branch  of  that  body.  He  is  left, 
under  the  law,  without  shield  or  protectioo  of  any  kind,  except  such 
as  is  borne  by  all  ....  He  can  make  no  plea  which  is  denied  to 
any  other  citizen,  and  is  subject  to  the  same  scrutiny,  trial,  and  pun- 
ishment, with  the  proceedings,  hazards,  and  penalties  of  impeachment 
superadded."  Mr.  Buchanan,  in  his  protest, claimed  to  possess  "Le- 
gislative capacity,"  which  Mr.  Hickman  completely  disproved  by  ref- 
erence to  Article  1,  Sec.  1,  of  the  Constitution,  wherein  it  is  declared 
that  "  All  Legislative  power  herein  (therein)  granted  shall  be  vested 
in  a  Congress  of  the  Untted  States,  luhich  shall  consist  of  a  Senate  and 
House  of  Representatives.''  The  ground  was  also  taken  in  the  Re- 
port that  the  resolutions  of  the  House  merely  proposed  an  exanuna- 
tion  of  the  Executive  acts,  "  such,"  to  use  Mr.  Hickman's  own  language, 
"  as  may  be  instituted  by  any  member  of  society  against  any  other 
member  of  society  to  test  informally  either  honesty  or  respectability." 

269 


JOHN     HICKMAN. 

Moreover,  the  declaratiou  was  made  that  "  the  House  of  Represent- 
atives will  determine  for  itself  its  mode  of  procedure,  without  sug- 
gestions from  a  '  co-ordinate,'  and  rely  upon  the  highest  law  for  its 
charter.  There  is  no  judge  presiding  over  the  representatives  of  the 
sovereign  people  of  the  sovereign  states,  to  teach-  and  inculcate  legal 
proprieties.  When  they  shall  permit  the  President  to  do  so,  then 
there  will  be  a  law  superior  to  the  Constitution,  and  a  discretion 
locked  in  chains." 

Want  of  space  forbids  farther  extracts  from  this  masterly  docu- 
ment The  quotations  already  made  are  deemed  sufficient  to  show 
the  nature  of  the  controversy — the  President  evidently  having 
sought  to  make  it  appear  that  Executive  authority  was  paramount 
to  Legislative,  when  the  report  ably  maintained  the  rights  and-  dig- 
nity of  the  latter  department  of  the  Government,  concluding  with 
the  following  sentences :  "  The  world  is  but  a  great  battle-field  for 
power;  and  if  universal  history  teaches  any  lesson,  it  is  this — 'that 
power  is  always  stealing  from  the  many  to  the  few ; '  that  Executive 
heads  of  nations  absorb  popular  rights ;  and  that  all  revolutions  are, 
on  the  part  of  the  people,  not  to  establish  thrones,  but  to  regain  that 
which  has  been  wrested  from  them  by  the  throne.  The  citizen  of 
the  United  States  has  reason  to  fear  that  which  every  other  nation 
has  suffered." 

Nearly  thirteen  years  having  elapsed  since  this  able  public  docu- 
ment was  submitted  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  it  is  worthy  of 
remark  that  the  views  of  Constitutional  law,  the  powers  appertaining 
to  the  National  Executive,  and  the  legal  relations  existing  between 
the  President  and  Congress,  together  with  the  clear  exposition  of  the 
rights  of  the  people  therein  set  forth,  have  been  accepted  by  many  of 
the  most  eminent  publicists  of  the  nation,  as  essential  to  the  preser- 
vation of  our  liberties.  Such  distinguished  men  as  Charles  Sumner, 
Lyman  Trumbull,  John  B.  Haskin,  and  others  of  equal  celebrity, 
have  shown,  by  their  subsequent  public  acts,  an  entire  acquiescence 
in  the  opinions  contained  in  the  report  to  which  allusion  is  made. 
It  was  regarded  at  the  time  of  its  appearance  as  one  of  the  ablest 
documents  ever  presented  to  the  American  people,  and  the  ideas 
which  it  embodies  have  been  fully  and  emphatically  accepted  as  es- 
sential to  the  maintenance  of  a  Republican  form  of  Government 

The  speeches  delivered  by  Mr.  Hickman  at  this  eventful  period 
of  our  national  history  will  be  remembered.  They  ci-eated  an 
intense  excitement  at  the  time,  and  were  circulated  over  the  country 

270 


JOHN     HICK  1[  AN. 

by  hundreds  of  thousands.  He  was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the 
boldest  and  best  among  the  champions  of  freedom.  It  will  also  be 
remembered  that  Mr.  Lincoln,  in  one  of  his  speeches,  paid  him  the 
highest  compliment.  Without  a  spoken  word  from  Mr.  Hickman, 
who,  in  his  public  acts,  showed  himself  a  man  of  principle  without 
ambition,  he  received  a  large  vote  for  the  Vice-Presidency  in  the 
Chicago  Convention  which  nominated  Mr.  Lincoln  for  the  Presi- 
dency. 

Mr.  Hickman  is  in  many  respects  an  extraoi'dinary  man.  He  is 
eminently  social,  and  as  a  conversationist  has  few  superiors.  His 
reading  has  been  of  the  most  extended  and  varied  character.  The 
frequency  and  appositeness  with  which  he  quotes  from  all  the  best 
known  authors,  both  in  conversation  and  public  speaking,  has  been 
the  subject  of  i-emark  by  his  fiiends.  His  oratory  is  fresh,  vivid, 
and  impassioned.  It  is  impossible  to  compare  him  with  other  men. 
He  stands  alone.  Possessing  the  power  to  sway  multitudes  of  men 
bv  the  magnetic  force  of  his  oratoiy,  it  is  not  surprising  that  he 
reached  the  position  he  occupies.  His  style  is  singularly  earnest 
and  impressive,  conveying  to  his  hearers  the  idea  that  his  utterances 
are  the  result  of  serious  conviction.  Few  men  have  exerted  a  wider 
influence  in  public  affairs.  Without  the  aid  of  his  powerful  intel- 
lect, neither  Banks  nor  Pennington  could  have  been  elected  Speaker, 
nor  Colonel  Forney  Clerk  of  the  House.  In  these  crises  he  was 
omnipotent. 

It  has,  perhaps,  been  overlooked  that  on  the  20th  of  March,  1862, 
Mr.  Hickman,  as  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee,  introduced 
a  "  joint  resolution  in  relation  to  the  powers  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States."  This  received  veiy  little  attention  at  the  time,  but 
was  eventually  received  as  settled  law.  It  was  in  substance  this : 
"  The  President  of  the  United  States,  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
Army  and  Navy  of  the  United  States,  should  make  use  of  all 
means  not  inconsistent  with  the  laws  of  war,  which  in  his  judgment 
may  be  necessary  to  crush  the  Rebellion,  including  the  seizure  and 
final  disposition  of  all  the  propei-ty,  real  and  personal,  of  those  en- 
gaged in  armed  Rebellion  against  the  Government  of  the  United 
States,  or  aiding  in  such  Rebellion,  including  slaves."  December 
8,  1862,  Mr.  Hickman,  on  leave,  also  introduced  a  bill,  which  was 
referred  to  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs,  and  which  was  never 
reported  back  to  the  House,  providing  for  the  provisioning,  arming, 

and  equipping  of  negro   regiments   not   exceeding  one   hundred. 

271 


JOBN     HICKMAN. 


This  bill  was  never  acted  on.  Here  was  the  pioneer  movement. 
Although  in  advance  of  both  the  President  and  Congress,  his  views 
were  finally  accepted  and  carried  into  effect. 

At  his  suburban  residence  in  Westchester,  Pennsylvania,  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch  dispenses  the  most  generous  hospitality— never 
appearing  to  better  advantage  than  when  engaged  in  conversation 
with  his  friends,  who  delight  to  visit  him  at  his  pleasant  home,  where 
he  is  usually  found  in  his  well-filled  library,  ever  ready  to  receive 
and  to  entertain.  As  a  friend  he  has  always  been  found  faithful : 
as  a  companion  he  is  exceedingly  interesting  and  cotivivial.  Gentle 
as  a  woman  in  his  ordinary  moods,  when  aroused  in  controversy  he 
displays  almost  lion-like  power.  God  made  him  for  a  purpose,  ajid 
lie  has  accomplished  it 


272 


HENRY    WASHINGTON    HILLIARD. 


HIS  gentleman,  who  has  attained  distinction  in  the 
service  of  the  Eepublic,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  is 
a  Carolinian.  He  was  born  near  Fayetteville,  in  the 
State  of  North  Carolina ;  but  when  he  was  only  some 
seven  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  to  Columbia,  the 
capital  of  South  Carolina,  where  he  grew  up.  He  was  edu- 
cated for  the  bar,  and  graduated,  in  the  celebrated  South 
Carolina  College,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Senator  Preston,  so 
distinguished  for  his  genius  and  elociuence,  early  sought  the  young 
student,  and  a  friendship  grew  up  between  them,  which  was  never 
chilled  by  time,  nor  disturbed  by  any  of  the  events  of  after  life. 
Soon  after  Mr.  Hilliard  graduated,  Mr.  Preston  invited  him  to 
enter  his  office,  and  continue  his  law  studies  there.  A  delightful 
intercourse,  full  of  advantage  to  the  young  student,  continued  for 
months  ;  but  Mr.  Hilliard,  with  a  view  to  entering  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  before  attaining  the  age  required  for  admission 
to  the  bar  in  South  Carolina,  took  up  his  residence  for  some  time 
in  Athens,  Georgia.  There  he  entered  the  office  of  Judge  Clayton, 
and  was  in  due  time  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  opened  an  office  in 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  where  he  soon  acquired  a  large  and  lucra- 
tive practice,  and  rose  to  distinction.  Educated  in  South  Carolina, 
and  trained  in  that  place  so  renowned  for  its  interest  in  public 
affairs — Columbia — Mr.  Hilliard  early  acquired  a  taste  for  polit- 
ical life.  He  was  pursuing  his  profession  when  the  great  contro- 
versy about  the  sub-Treasury  system  of  Mr.  Van  Buren  engrossed 
the  attention  of  the  country. 

Hon.  Dixon  H.  Lewis,  who  at  that  time  i-epresented  the  Mont- 
gomery district  in  Congress,  following  the  lead  of  Mr.  Calhoun, 
exerted  his  great  abilities  and  his  powerful  influence  to  carry  the 

Whigs  of  Alabama  to  the  support  of  the  measure.     Mr.  Hilliard 

373 


HENRY    W.    HILLIABD. 

was  decidedly  opposed  to  it ;  lie  spoke  against  it  in  popular  meet- 
ings, and  wrote  a  series  of  articles  in  reply  to  Mr.  Lewis.  His 
friends  brouglit  him  out  for  the  Legislature,  and  a  very  animated 
canvass  followed.  Mr.  Hilliard  was  triumphantly  elected  at  the 
head  of  his  ticket. 

Soon  after  General  Harrison's  election  to  the  Presidency,  Mr. 
Hilliard  was  offered  a  foreign  mission.  He  had  rendered  important 
service  in  that  extraordinary  canvass  which  carried  the  Whig  party 
into  power.  Mr.  Webster,  then  Secretary  of  State,  promptly 
tendered  Mr.  Hilliard  the  appointment.  It  was,  however,  declined. 
Early  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year  he  was  appointed  Minister 
to  Belgium,  as  the  successor  to  Hon.  Virgil  Maxey.  He  took  up 
his  residence  at  Brussels,  where  he  passed  some  years  in  the  study 
of  European  politics ;  giving,  at  the  same  time,  much  of  his  atten- 
tion to  civil  law.  Here  he  enjoyed  great  advantages.  One  of  the 
youngest  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  he  was  regarded  with  dis- 
tinguished favor  by  the  representatives  of  other  countries.  The 
French  Embassador,  the  Marquis  de  Eumigny,  extended  to  him 
marked  attentions. 

The  King  of  the  Belgians,  Leopold,  had  married  a  daughter  of 
Louis  Philippe,  King  of  France,  and  Mr.  Hilliard  when  from  time 
to  time  he  visited  Paris  was  warmly  welcomed  at  the  French 
Court. 

The  King  recalled  with  pleasure  his  visit  to  the  United  States, 
and  exhibited  a  strong  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  country. 

At  that  time  Texas  was  an  independent  State,  and  was  repre- 
sented at  several  of  the  European  Courts,  But  the  Belgian  Gov- 
ernment declined  to  recognize  the  independence  of  that  republic, 
from  the  apprehension  that  it  might  give  offense  to  Mexico.  Mr. 
Hilliard  was  consulted  by  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  as  to  a 
plan  of  recognition,  but  it  did  not  result  in  the  attainment  of  the 
object  which  Mexico  had  in  view.  It  was  proposed  to  Mr.  Hilliard 
that  Mexico  would  acknowledge  the  independence  of  Texas,  pro- 
vided the  United  States  would  undertake  to  decline  the  annexation 
of  that  State.  Mr.  Hilliard  assured  the  Belgian  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs  that  such  terms  might  delay  annexation,  but  could 
not  prevent  its  ultimate  success. 

Mr.  Hilliard  requested  to  be  recalled,  having  been  absent  as  long 
as  he  desired  to  remain  from  home. 

Mr.  Calhoun  was  then  Secretary  of  State,  and  he  officially  wrote 

274 


HENRY    W.    BILLIARD. 

that  nothing  but  Mr.  Hilliard's  repeated  request  could  induce  the 
Government  to  accept  his  resignation.  He  was  succeeded  bj'  Mr. 
Clemson,  the  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Calhoun. 

Almost  immediately  after  his  return  home  he  was  elected  to 
Congress,  and  entered  that  body  at  a  most  interesting  period  of 
our  history.  In  the  House  of  Kepresentatives,  seated  at  his 
single  desk — not  shared  with  any  other  member — was  John 
Quincy  Adams.  In  that  hall,  too,  were  Douglas,  of  Illinois  ;  the 
two  Ingersolls,  of  Pennsylvania;  Winthrop,  of  Massachusetts; 
Hunter,  of  Virginia ;  Toombs,  and  Stephens,  and  Butler  King,  of 
Georgia ;  Davis,  of  Mississippi ;  and  many  others  so  well  known  to 
the  country ;  while  in  the  Senate  were  Webster,  Calhoun,  Clay, 
Berrien,  Benton,  Mangham,  Cass,  King,  and  other  men  of  renown. 

The  Oregon  question  was  before  Congress.  Its  discussion 
excited  the  deepest  interest ;  its  settlement  involved  the  moment- 
ous question  of  peace  or  war.  Mr.  Hilliard  spoke  early  on  the 
question,  and  took  a  decided  stand  for  our  title  to  the  territory. 
His  great  speech  was  remarkable  at  once  for  eloquence  and  power ; 
and  it  placed  him  in  the  very  first  rank  of  the  public  men  of  the 
country  in  or  out  of  Congress.  So  deep  was  the  impression  made 
upon  the  House  that  the  venerable  Mr.  Adams  rose,  and  coming  to 
the  seat  of  Mr.  Hilliard,  congratulated  him,  saying,  "  I  think,  sir, 
you  have  settled  the  question."  The  press  all  over  the  country 
gave  glowing  notices  of  the  speech,  and  recognized  Mr.  Hilliard  as 
a  statesman  of  the  highest  order.  Speaking  of  the  influence  of  our 
people,  when  firmly  settled  upon  the  Pacific  coast,  on  the  people  of 
Japan  and  China,  he  said,  in  the  conclusion  of  his  speech : 

"  Civilization  and  intelligence  started  in  the  East ;  they  have  traveler]  and  are 
6till  traveling  westward  ;  but  when  they  shall  have  completed  the  circuit  of  the 
earth,  and  reached  the  extremest  verge  of  the  Pacific  shores,  then,  unlike  the 
fabled  god  of  the  ancients,  wUo  dipped  his  glowing  axle  in  the  western  wave,  they 
will  there  take  up  their  permanent  abode  ;  then  shall  we  enjoy  the  sublime  destiny 
of  returning  those  blessings  to  their  ancient  seat ;  then  will  it  be  ours  to  give  the 
priceless  benefit  of  our  free  institutions,  and  the  pure  and  healthful  light  of  the 
Gospel  back  to  the  dark  family  which  has  so  long  lost  both  truth  and  wisdom ; 
then  may  Christianity  plant  herself  there ;  and,  while  with  one  hand  she  points  to 
the  Polynesian  Isles,  rejoicing  in  the  late  recovered  treasure  of  Revealed  Truth,  with 
the  other  present  the  Bible  to  the  Chinese.  *****  I  hope  the  day  is  not  dis- 
tant—soon, soon  may  its  dawn  arise— to  shed  upon  the  farthest  and  most  benighted 
of  nations  the  splendor  of  more  than  a  tropical  sun." 

From  year  to  year  Mr.  Hilliard  took  part  in  the  debates  of  Con- 
gress, always  speaking  with  corn-age  ;  and,  while  vindicating  the 

275 


HENRY     W.    HILLIARD. 

rights  and  upholding  the  interests  of  the  South,  his  efforts  were, 
nevertheless,  characterized  by  breadth  of  view,  and  distinguished 
for  the  national  and  patriotic  spirit  which  animated  them.  He 
warmly  advocated  the  opening  of  diplomatic  relations  with  Rome  ; 
and,  upon  being  attacked  with  some  warmth  by  the  Hon.  Mr. 
Levin,  of  Pennsylvania,  for  his  disposition  to  recognize  the  Papal 
Government,  he  replied  triumphantly  : 

"  lu  my  judgment,  sir,  neither  Christianity  nor  free  principles  have  anything 
to  fear  from  a  conflict  with  opposing  powers.  I  should  send  a  Minister  to  the 
Papal  States  as  I  would  to  any  other  power;  I  would  encourage  every  reform  in 
the  Government ;  I  would  cheer  the  friends  of  freedom  in  all  Europe  by  sending  a 
Minister  from  the  United  States  of  America,  where  the  noblest  toleration  is  granted 
to  all  opinions,  to  reside  at  a  Court  where  hitherto  the  policy  has  been  to  crush  all 
freedom  of  thought  and  action. 

"  It  would  be  a  spectacle  of  high  moral  interest  to  see  such  a  representative 
from  Republican  America  taking  his  post  amid  the  ruined  temples  and  arches  of  a 
country  where,  in  other  days,  Republican  Rome  exhibited  to  the  world  its  colossal 
proportions.  *  *  *  *  Our  true  policy  is  to  extend  our  peaceful  relations  with 
the  world.  We  have  nothing  to  fear  from  an  intercourse  of  that  kind  with  other 
powers.  Truth  is  clad  in  more  than  triple  steel,  and  I  would  bid  her  spread  her 
standard  in  the  very  midst  of  the  world,  and  take  her  station  in  front  of  the  Vati- 
can. By  keeping  the  Papal  See  isolated  you  strengthen  it.  It  carries  on  its 
agencies  in  secret.  Bring  it  upon  the  open  field ;  do  not  shun  it ;  bring  it  into  open 
intercourse  with  a  free  Protestant  nation,  and  civil  and  religious  liberty  will 
achieve  new  triumphs." 

He  subsequently  made  an  elaborate  Report,  from  the  Committee 
on  Foreign  Affairs,  on  the  Diplomatic  System  of  the  United  States, 
and  his  views  were,  in  the  main,  adopted  by  Congress  at  a  later 

day. 

Mr.  Hilliard  was  never  defeated  before  the  people.  A  very  able 
member  of  his  own  party  was  brought  out  against  him,  after  his 
second  term,  upon  the  ground  that  he  refused  to  sign  Mr.  Calhoun's 
Address  to  the  Southern  people.  Mr.  Hilliard  defended  himself 
upon  the  principle  that  he  would  not  join  in  an  appeal  to  a  section  ; 
but  that  he  had  united  with  Mr.  Berrien  and  other  Whigs  in  an 
Address  to  the  peoi^le  of  the  United  States.  The  canvass  was  a 
brilliant  one  ;  it  drew  out  a  display  of  Mr.  Hilliard's  highest  powers ; 
— and  he  was  elected  by  an  overwhelming  majority. 

In  1851,  Mr.  Yancey  took  the  field  against  him,  in  a  great  series 
of  debates — on  the  stump ;  Mr.  Hilliard  for  the  Union,  and  his 
distinguished  opponent  against  it.  Both  gentlemen  were  roused  to 
their  highest  efforts  ;  and  the  triumph  of  Mr.  Hilliard  was  com- 

27G 


HENRY    W.    HILLIARD. 

plete^tlie  candidate  to  whom  he  gave  his  support  having  been 
elected  by  a  large  majority. 

Mi  .  Hilliard  voluntarily  retired  from  Congress.  The  death  of  a 
son  just  appointed  to  West  Point  by  President  Taylor  overwhelmed 
him  with  grief.  It  was  understood  that  he  was  to  re-enter  the 
Diplomatic  service  and  fill  the  mission  to  Prussia,  but  events  did 
not  at  that  time  make  the  anticipated  vacancy  at  Berlin. 

When  the  great  struggle  opened  which  brought  civil  war  upon 
the  country  Mr.  Hilliard  was  opposed  to  Secession.  He  was  a 
Whig,  with  strong  national  ideas  and  attachments.  But  when  war 
broke  out  he  took  his  stand  with  his  people.  He  was  sent  as  Com- 
missioner to  the  State  of  Tennessee  at  the  time  Mr.  Stephens  was 
sent  to  Virginia.  Both  negotiated  treaties  with  those  States.  He 
believed  that  the  life  of  Constitutional  liberty  was  involved  in  the 
great  struggle  ;  and  it  seemed  to  him  that  if  the  States  that  adhered 
to  the  Union  and  wielded  the  power  of  the  General  Government 
against  the  Southern  States  should  triumph,  a  colossal  despotism 
would  grow  up. 

Since  the  war  he  has  been  understood  to  be  favorable  to  the 
restoration  of  a  national  spirit,  and  to  a  true  and  thorough  recon- 
ciliation between  the  States  of  the  Union. 

During  the  war  Mr.  Hilliard  removed  to  Georgia,  and  still  re- 
sides at  his  place  near  Augusta.  He  is  yet  employed  in  the  prac- 
tice of  law.  He  has  literary  tastes,  and  has  published  two  or  three 
books.  He  was,  while  in  Congress,  throughout  the  entire  period 
of  his  long  service,  a  Regent  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  and  has 
always  manifested  the  deepest  interest  in  education. 

It  is  proper  to  notice  Mr.  Hilliard's  religious  opinions,  as  he  has 
at  all  times  manifested  a  deep  and  unswerving  interest  in  the  cause 
of  Christianity.  He  has  been  from  his  youth  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  a  Church  which  calls  into  its  service 
its  qualified  men,  whatever  may  be  their  pursuits. 

Mr.  Hilliard  has  long  held  an  official  relation  to  his  people,  which 
makes  it  his  duty  at  times  to  enter  the  pulpit,  and  to  advocate  in 
public  the  claims  of  the  Gospel.  He  holds  that  this  should  be  done 
in  all  the  churches  ;  and  he  is  understood  to  believe  that  what  is 
called  lay  preaching  may  prove  to  be  a  powerful  auxiliary  aid  to 
the  regular  promulgation  of  the  truths  of  the  Gospel.  As  he  said 
on  one  occasion  :  "  Lord  Brougham  wrote  for  Christianity ;  why 
should  he  not  speak  for  it  in  public  ?  "     This  custom  has  long  ex- 

277 


HENEY    W.     HILLIARD. 

isted  at  the  South,  and  has  worked  great  resuts.  The  Hon.  Wal- 
ter T.  Colquitt,  a  member  of  Congress  at  the  same  time  with 
Mr.  Hilliard,  held  the  same  relations  to  the  Church. 

Mr.  Hilliard  has  often  since  the  war  been  called  upon  to  speak 
on  public  questions,  and  to  deliver  orations,  which  have  been  received 
with  great  favor.  His  recent  oration  before  the  University  of  South 
Carolina  is  spoken  of  in  the  highest  terms,  and  has  received  an  un- 
common tribute  of  praise  from  the  press.  The  subject  was  "  The 
Progress  of  Civilization  in  the  United  States,"  and  its  delivery 
produced  great  effect. 

A  man  of  high  social  worth  and  Christian  character,  a  ripe 
scholar,  combining  with  rare  intellectual  attainments  the  advan- 
tages of  a  sound  judgment  and  an  extended  experience,  Mr.  Hilliard 
is  still  a  most  efficient  worker  in  an  enlarged  sphere  of  usefulness, 
and  it  is  but  modest  to  claim  that  he  may  yet  render  great  service 
to  the  country. 

278 


R.   I.   T.   HUNTER. 


HE  old  Eoman  aphorism,  " Poetas  nascitur  non  fit" 
applies  with  equal  force  to  a  statesman.     The  latter, 
like  a  poet,  is  born,  not  made.     There  is,  however, 
this   difference.     For  a   statesman,   in   the  broad   and 
-    comprehensive  sense  of  that  word,  it  is  necessary  that  ex- 
perience should  be  allied  to  genius  ;  and  in  the  subject  of 
vr-tf^   the   present   sketch   these  two  requisites  are  united  in  a 
pre-eminent  degree.    Educated  in  the  same  school  of  national  politics 
as  Calhoun  Clay,  and  Webster,  and  coming  upon  the  stage  of  action 
when  those  intellectual  giants  were  in  the  zenith  of  their  powers,  it 
was  his  privilege  to  sit  at  their  feet  and  learn  wisdom  ;  and  though 
now  out  of  the  arena  of  active  party  strife,  he  may  with  truth  be  said  to 
beoneof  the  last  of  that  raceof  statesmen  of  which  tlieonesjust  named 
were  representatives.     For  more  than  thirty  years  Mr.  Hunter  has 
been  identified  with  almost  every  public  measure  that  has  emanated 
from  the  Halls  of  Congress  ;  while  many  questions  of  policy  that  are 
yet  beincr  carried  out  to  their  legitimate  results  may  justly  claim  him 
as  their  originator.    Though   at  the  present  time  enjoying  the  peace 
and  serenity  of  what  promises  to  be  a  ripe  old  age,  it  is  well  to  record, 
for  the  benefit  of  a  younger  generation,  a  few  of  the  mcident^in  his 
active  life.     It  is  with  this  object  that  the  following  sketch  is  pre- 
sented. .  ioAn 
R  M  T.  Hunter  was  born  on  the  21st  of  April,  m  the  year  1809, 
and  is  a  native  of  that  State  which  has  fairly  earned  the  title  of  "  The 
Mother  of  Presidents."     He  was  carefully  educated  at  home  under 
private  tutors  until  he  was  sixteen,  at  which  age  he  was  duly  matri- 
culated at  the  University  of  Virginia.     The  examination  necessary 
to  this  step  was  passed  by  young  Hunter  with  credit  both  to  himself 
and  to  the  influences  by  which  he  had  been  surrounded  while  under 
the  parental  roof;  and  although  he  had  received  but  little  accadera- 
^                                                          379 


R.     M.     T.      HUNTER. 

ical  instruction,  yet  a  taste  for  reading,  encouraged  by  access  to  a 
well-selected  library,  added  a  fund  of  information  to  his  general  cul- 
ture, which  compensated,  in  a  great  measure,  for  the  lack  of  a  pre- 
vious severe  classical  course.  This  is  proved  by  the  fact,  that  although 
graduation  in  the  University  of  Vii-ginia  at  that  time  was  by  classes, 
and  therefore  exceedingly  difi&cult,  he  was  one  of  four  only  of  his 
class  who  graduated  with  honor  from  that  institution.  Upon  leav- 
ing college  Mr.  Hunter  chose  the  law  as  his  profession,  and  practiced 
in  the  courts,  but  only  for  a  few  yeai-s.  His  tastes  and  bent  of  mind 
inclined  him  strongly  towards  political  life  :  and  he  continued  in  the 
law  only  until  he  was  eligible  to  a  place  in  the  Legislature.  Upon 
reaching  the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  entered  the  Virginia  Legislature 
as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Delegates,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
for  three  years  with  reputation  to  himself  and  honor  to  his  constitu- 
ency. He  then  ran  for  Congress  as  a  States'  Eights  candidate  ;  and 
it  is  no  slight  proof  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  at  this  time 
that,  although  running  in  a  strong  Democratic  district,  he  was  tri- 
umphantly elected  as  an  anti-bank  member  of  the  House  of  Eepre- 
sentatives.  His  first  experience  in  this  new  and  wider  field  was  in 
the  extra  session  of  Congress  called  by  President  Van  Buren.  Polit- 
ical excitement  at  this  time  ran  high.  The  question  of  an  inde- 
pendent Treasury  was  warmly  agitated  both  by  its  advocates  and  by 
the  friends  of  the  Executive,  the  latter  of  whom  looked  upon  it  with 
disfavor;  and  in  this  session,  as  well  as  the  extra  one  which  imme- 
ately  followed,  Mr.  Hunter  in  a  jiowerful  speech  favored  the  measure 
as  being  in  harmony  with  his  previously  expressed  views.  By  this 
speech,  which  was  widely  circulated,  he,  of  course,  placed  himself  in 
opposition  to  the  President,  while  at  the  same  time  he  ranged  him- 
self on  the  side  of  Mr.  Calhoun.  Indeed,  as  far  back  as  1830  there 
had  been  a  bitter  feeling  of  hostility  between  the  friends  of  Van 
Buren  and  Calhoiin — each  striving  to  put  down  the  othei'.  In  this 
contest  Mr.  Van  Buren  had  succeeded  and  had  become  President ; 
but  the  old  enmity  continued  to  rankle,  and  now  found  vent  The 
position  which  Mr.  Hunter  took  at  this  time  was  therefore  widely 
known  and  generally  approved  of  by  his  constituency  ;  at  least  such 
is  the  inference  from  the  fiict  that  directly  upon  the  expiration  of  his 
term  he  was  again  returned  to  Congress. 

It  was  during  the  first  session  of  his  second  term  that  Mr.  Hun- 
ter was  elected  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives.     He  was 

at  this  time  not  thirty  years  of  age,  and  was  the  youngest  man  who 

280 


R.     M.     T.     HUNTER. 

bad  ever  Iwen  chosen  to  that  offic.^-an  election  which  was  due, 
perhaps,  as  much  to  the  close  division  of  parties  and  a  belief  that  he 
wotild  be  honest  and  impartial,  as  to  his  brilliant  reputation.  Con- 
nected with  his  election  to  the  Speakership  is  an  anecdote  which 
well  illnsti-ates  the  reputation  for  integrity  he  had  already  attained. 
"  Reason  must  triumph  here,"  said  John  Quincy  Adams,  in  private 
conversation  upon  the  result  of  the  ballot  being  announced — the 
initial  letters  of  each  and  of  Mr.  Adams'  remark  being  the  same  as 
the  newly-elected  Speaker's  name— R.  M.  T.  H.  Mr.  Hunter  was 
elected  to  the  Speaker's  chair  by  the  Whigs  and  friends  of  Mr.  Cal- 
houn, and  by  it  a  long  and  protracted  party -contest  came  to  an  end. 
His  role  was  accoi-dingly  difficult.  In  organizing  the  Committee  of 
the  House,  he  gave  the  Administration  control  of  the  "  Ways  and 
Means,"  and  assigned  the  "  Investigating"  to  the  Opposition,  justify- 
ing at  the  outset,  by  his  selections  of  men,  the  confidence  which  had 
been  reposed  in  his  tact  and  judgment  His  service  as  Speaker 
during  the  two  yeare  following,  in  a  Congress  in  which  the  contend- 
ing parties  were  almost  evenly  divided,  gave  general  satisfaction  to 
all  parties — the  mere  statement  of  which  flict  is  very  high  praise 
indeed,  the  Speakership  having,  under  the  administration  of  Henry 
Clay,  and  other  eminent  men,  already  begun  to  be  considered,  as  it 
now  is,  "the  second  office  in  importance  in  the  Government." 

The  next  Congress,  also,  saw  Mr.  Hunter  in  his  seat,  sent  there 
as  a  Free  Trader  and  an  Independent  Treasury  man.  In  the  suc- 
ceeding elections,  however,  owing  to  the  fact  that  several  counties,  ad- 
verse to  him  in  politics,  had  been  added  to  his  Congressional  district, 
he  was  defeated  by  the  Hon.  Willoughby  Newton,  but  he  recovered 
his  position  after  an  interval  of  two  years.  It  was  during  this  Con- 
gress tliat  Mr.  Hunter,  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  District 
of  Columbia,  introduced  and  carried  through  the  measure  for  the 
recession  of  Alexandria  to  the  State  of  Virginia — a  measure  which, 
it  is  needless  to  say,  did  not  diminish  his  popularity  in  his  own 
State.  The  "  Boundary  Question,"  between  the  United  States  and 
England,  in  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  was  also  exciting  the  interest 
which  its  importance  demanded,  and  Mr.  Hunter  was  urged  for- 
ward by  his  party  fi-iends,  early  in  the  debate,  making  a  speech  that 
at  the  time  excited  much  attention.  At  the  close  of  his  term  Mr. 
Hunter  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  by  the  Whigs  and 
State  Rights'  Democrats,  who  were  at  this  period  numerous  in  the 
Virginia   Legislature.      His  stay   in   the    Senate,    which   continued 

'381 


K.     M.     T.     HUNTER. 

tlirough  three  successive  terms,  or  until  the  secession  of  Virginia  in 
1861,  was  marked  by  the  same  zeal,  sound  judgment,  and  conscien- 
tious fidelity  to  principle  whicli  had  hitherto  distinguished  his  polit- 
ical life ;  and  a  number  of  important  measures,  then  adopted  by 
Congress,  and  since  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the  country,  owe  their 
origin  to  his  wisdom  and  foresight.  President  Pierce  offered  him 
the  Chair  of  Secretary  of  State,  but  he  declined  it,  thinking  he  could 
be  more  useful  in  the  Senate.  Indeed,  it  seems  peculiarly  fortunate 
that  he  should  have  been  in  the  Senate  at  this  time  to  guide  and 
cari-v  fonvard  to  a  successful  issiie  the  important  schemes  then 
continually  coming  up.  Scarcely  had  he  taken  his  seat  in  the  Upper 
House  when  war  was  declared  against  Mexico.  In  this  crisis,  which 
called  for  great  forbearance  and  fact  on  the  part  of  the  Government, 
Mr.  Hunter,  while  sustaining  the  Administration,  resisted  any  large 
acquisition  of  territory.  He  believed  that  the  demands  of  the  United 
States  should  be  limited  solely  to  what  might  be  necessary  to  reim- 
burse it  for  the  cost  of  the  war ;  and  even  then,  that  only  such  land 
should  be  taken  as  was  comparatively  unsettled.  By  this  policy 
Mr.  Hunter  wished  to  avoid,  if  possible,  troubles  similar  to  these 
now  occurring  in  the  conquered  provinces  of  Alsace  and  Loraine. 
"  To  obtain  empire,"  it  has  been  said  by  a  man  of  profound  intellec- 
tual attainments,  "  is  easy  and  common ;  to  govern  it  well,  is  difficult 
and  rare  indeed." 

Mr.  Hunter  had  been  but  a  short  time  a  member  of  the  Senate 
when  he  was  made  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Finance.  Nor 
was  it  long  before  the  course  of  events  fully  justified  the  wisdom  of 
this  appointment.  The  discovery  of  the  precious  metals  in  Califor- 
nia had  already  greatly  changed  the  business  relations  of  the  countiy. 
The  relative  value  of  silver  and  gold  increased  so  rapidly  that  coin 
made  of  the  former  metal  was  being  rapidly  expelled  from  the  coun- 
try. This  was  the  state  of  things  when  the  subject  was  referred  to 
the  Finance  Committee.  Both  the  bill  and  the  report  adopted  by 
the  Committee  were  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Hunter.  In  the  latter  it  was 
shown  that  it  was  the  quantity,  not  the  fineness  of  the  silver,  that 
was  reduced  in  the  coin  below  the  dollar  value,  and  that,  as  a  natural 
consequence,  it  would  be  this  class  of  coin  which  would  be  retained 
for  circulation  at  home.  The  Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee 
accordingly  took  the  ground  that  gold  being  thus  produced  for  circu- 
lation should  be  treated  as  any  other  article  of  commerce.  He  also 
resisted  the  multiplication  of  mints  as  putting  the  Government  to 

283 


R.      M.     T.     HUNTER. 

additional  as  well  as  useless  expense — useless,  because  incurred 
mostly  for  the  benefit  of  foreign  Governments  who,  upon  its  being 
exported,  would  only  melt  the  coin  down  regardless  of  the  stamp  of 
the  mint  At  the  same  time,  however,  he  advocated  the  establish- 
ment of  assay-offices  for  the  purpose  of  refining  and  stamping  the 
value  of  the  gold  for  those  United  States  citizens  who  dealt  in  that 
commodity  as  an  article  of  merchandize  only.  Mi-.  Hunter  also 
introduced  a  measure  for  "refining  gold  to  a  pure  standard."  This 
measure,  though  opposed  at  the  time,  was  promptly  passed,  and 
very  soon  vindicated  its  author's  foresight  by  the  increased  quantity 
which  was  immediately  sent  abroad  and  sold  in  the  markets  of  the 
world. 

But  the  far-seeing  sagacity  of  Mr.  Hunter  is  nowhere  seen  more 
clearly,  perhaps,  than  in  the  action  that  he  took,  while  a  Senator,  in 
a  measure  which  is  still  agitating  the  country,  namely,  the  proposed 
Eeform  of  the  Civil  Service.  Although  not  the  first  to  originate  the 
scheme,  Mr.  Hunter,  nevertheless,  was  the  first  to  introduce  into 
practical  legislation  the  law  for  the  examination  of  clerks  in  the 
Civil  Service.  He  may  also  claim  with  entire  truth  the  honor 
of  being  the  sole  originator  and  introducer  of  the  plan  for  tlie  classifi- 
cation and  promotion  of  clerks  in  the  Civil  Service,  according  to 
their  respective  merits.  He  was.  moreover,  chiefly  instrumental  in 
the  introduction  of  the  judicial  feature  into  the  Court  of  Claims, 
and   did  much  to  bring  that  plan  into  public  notice. 

Beginning  his  political  life  as  a  Whig,  and  ever  a  consistent  and 
staunch  friend  of  Mr.  Calhoun,  Mr.  Hunter  always  advocated  the 
doctrines  of  Free  Trade,  though  ever  a  defende'r  of  the  Warehousing 
policy.  He  interested  himself  greatly  in  the  Tariff  of  1857,  and  took 
a  leading  part  in  the  discussion  of  that  measure.  The  Senate,  at  that 
time  was,  of  the  two  brandies  of  Congress,  the  more  inclined  to 
Free  Trade  ;  and  the  matter  was  consequently  arranged  in  a  confer- 
ence between  the  two  Houses — the  Senate  Committee,  on  this  occa- 
sion, being  composed  of  Mr.  Hunter,  Mr.  Seward,  and  Mr.  Douglas. 

Upon  the  Negro  Question,  Mr.  Hunter  was  one  of  those  who, 
ditfering  from  Mr.  Webster  and  Mr.  Sjward,  believed  that  the  ter- 
ritories of  the  United  States  were  the  joint  property  of  ail,  and  that 
the  citizens  of  the  Slaveholding  States  liad  the  right  to  settle  on 
them  with  their  families  and  property.  In  the  long  series  of  debates 
which  followed  the  broaching  of  this  question  he  took  an  active  part. 
He  constantly  maintained  that  the  question  of  joint  tenancy  could 

383 


R.     M.     T.     HUNTER. 


be  harmoniously  settled,  consequently  he  supported  the  Missoui-i 
Compromise  ;  and,  in  accordance  with  the  views  of  his  State,  urged 
it  as  the  true  means  of  settlement     For  the  same  reason  he  opposed 
the  Compromise  on  the  Californian  Question,  which  proposed  to  leave 
the  settlement  of  the  points  at  issue  to  the  capacity  for  settlement  of 
each   section— or   what   was    derisively  called    "The   Doctrine    of 
Squatter  Sovereignty."     In  the  last  speech  he  made  he  called  public 
attention  to  the  fact  that  European  nations  and  the  Northern  States 
had  outgrown  slavery,  and  that  such  must  in  time  be  the  inevitable 
result  everywhere.     Believing  strongly  that  the  doctrine  of  Squatter 
Sovereignty  was  a  contrivance  to  introduce  civil  war,  he  even  sought  a 
compromise  on  the  basis  of  the  Crittenden-Montgomery  Bill,  and 
voted  constantly  for  it     That  bill  he  believed  to  be  as  fair  and  per- 
feet  an  exposition  of  Popular  Sovereignty  as  could  be  cariied  out  by 
any  bill  next  after  the  Missouri  Compromise.     It  proposed  to  refer 
the  Lecompton  Constitution  back  to  the  people  of  Kansas,  with  the 
right  to  accept  it  or  reject  it  as  they  pleased,  at  a  fair  election  to  be 
held  in  pursuance  of  law  ;  and  in  the  event  of  their  rejecting  it  and 
forming  another  in  its  stead, .to  permit  them  to  come  into  the  Union 
on  an  equal  looting  with  the  original  States.     To  this  Bill  Mr.  Hun- 
ter gave  his  support,  and  he  was  rejoiced  when  he  found  that  it  had 
passed  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  for  a  time  hoped  it  would 
pass  the  Senate.     The  result,  however,  is  well  known.     The  States 
seceded,  Virginia  among  the  rest     Mr.  Hunter  went  with  it ;  and 
henceforth,  his  active  political  life  was  passed  in  the  service  of  the 
Confederate  Government 

To  complete  Mr.  Hunter's  record,  it  should  be  here  stated  that 
in  the  well-remembered  Charleston  Convention,  the  last  of  which 
representatives  from  the  whole  and  long-dominant  Democratic  party 
were  assembled,  previous  to  the  war,  he  was  earnestly  supported  by 
a  large  body  of  friends  for  the  nomination  for  the  Presidency,  receiv- 
ing a  very  respectable  vote. 

Upon  the  assembling  of  the  Confederate  Congress  at  Montgomery, 
Mr.  Hunter  took  his  seat  in  that  body  as  a  delegate  from  Virginia. 
He  found  the  Government  already  organized  by  the  election  of  a 
President,  Vice-President,  and  Cabinet  When  the  seat  of  Govern- 
ment was  removed  to  Richmond  Mr.  Hunter  was  appointed  Secre- 
tery  of  State  in  the  place  of  Robert  Toombs,  who  had  resigned. 
Upon  the  Government,  however,  being  reorganized,  he  was  elected 
to  the  Confederate  Senate,  and  appointed  a  member  of  the  Finance 


284 


R.     M.     T.     HUNTER. 

Committee,  and  President  of  the  Senate  for  the  time  being.  Mr. 
Hunter,  as  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Finance  in  the  Confede- 
rate Congress,  proved  as  active  and  influential  as  he  had  previously 
been  in  that  of  the  United  States.  He  introduced  and  carried 
through  that  impoitant  and,  indeed,  vital  measure  of  a  Tax  in  Kind, 
by  which  the  Confederate  States  were  enabled  to  keep  up  the  con- 
test after  its  paper  currency  had  become  of  no  value  as  a  circulating 
medium. 

When  Commissioners  were  sent  to  Old  Point  to  meet  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  and  Mr.  Seward  on  the  subject  of  peace,  Mr.  Huntei 
was  associated  with  Judge  Campbell  and  Vice-President  A.  H. 
Stephens  to  represent  their  Government  at  that  conference.  Indeed, 
such  was  the  esteem  which  was  entertained  for  his  opinion,  that 
when,  after  the  final  surrender  of  Lee,  Mr.  Lincoln  visited  Richmond, 
the  latter  at  once  expressed  a  desire  to  Judge  Campbell  to  see  him. 
Mr.  Lincoln  said  he  thought  they  might  agree  upon  something  which 
would  conduce  to  the  peace  of  the  country.  Just  here,  it  may  be 
remarked  that  his  (Lincoln's)  views  were  then  much  more  moderate 
than  those  afterwards  entertained  by  his  party.  After  his  unfor- 
tunate assassination,  he  was  succeeded  by  men  of  very  difterent  pur- 
poses. The  intei-view  above  alluded  to  failed  to  take  place,  as  Mr. 
Hunter  was  at  a  distance  from  Richmond,  and  it  was  necessary  that 
President  Lincoln  should  be  back  in  Washington  at  a  specified  time. 
Shortly  afterward,  Mr.  Hunter  was  captured  at  his  home  and  im- 
prisoned, first,  on  board  of  a  United  States  man-of-war  in  the  James 
River,  and  afterwards,  in  Fort  Pulaski  at  the  mouth  of  the  Savan- 
nah Ri  ver.  At  this  latter  place  he  was  confined  for  upwards  of  five 
months  in  the  most  sickly  season  of  the  year,  without  any  specific 
charges  having  been  brought  against  him. 

But  not  in  health  and  imprisonment  alone  has  Mr.  Hunter  been  a 
sufferer  by  the  civil  war.  His  prominent  position  caused  him  to  be  a 
target  for  the  troops  of  the  United  States  ;  and  during  the  contest  a 
special  expedition  was  sent  against  his  property  while  he  was  absent 
from  home.  His  mill — his  chief  support — was  burned,  his  house 
sacked  by  negro  soldiers,  and  his  teams,  negroes,  and  the  most  valu- 
able portion  of  his  cattle  carried  off  The  women  and  children  of 
his  plantation,  however,  were  left  upon  his  hands. 

Since  the  war  Mr.  Hunter  has  remained  quietly  at  his  home  in 
Essex  County,  Vii-ginia,  endeavoring,  as  far  as  possible,  to  repair  the 

ruin  brought  upon   bis  estate  by  the  plunderers  and  incendiaries, 

285 


B.     M.     T.     HUNTER. 

who,  under  the  sanction,  or,  rather,  license  of  oiFensive  war,  laiil 
waste  so  many  of  the  fair  homes  of  the  South. 

He  came  fi'om  his  retirement  to  attend  the  great  mass  meeting,  in 
ratification  of  the  National  and  State  nominations  of  the  Democratic 
and  Liberal  Republican  parties,  held  at  New  York,  Sept.  12th,  1872. 
On  this  occasion  Mr.  Hunter  delivered  the  most  important  and  au- 
thoritative speech,  perhaps,  of  that  memorable  canvass.  His  was  "  the 
voice  of  the  South,"  speaking  through  one  of  its  most  distinguished 
statesmen.  In  his  elaborate  and  thoughtful  discourse,  Mr.  Hunter 
discussed  the  issues  of  the  day,  the  wrongs  and  hopes  of  the  S<juth  ; 
the  policy  of  "  the  party  of  sectional  hate,"  and  the  tendencies  of 
their  measures  towards  imperialism,  in  which  connection  he  said : 

' '  That  there  is  a  deliberate  purpose  already  entertained  by  any  great 
party  in  this  country  to  change  from  a  popular  to  an  imperial  form  of  govern- 
ment I  do  not  charge.  But  I  do  assert  that  the  system  of  measures  and  course  of 
policy  pursued  by  the  Radical  party  must  have  this  result,  whether  they  design  it 
or  not.  ••»•*••  Once  infuse  a  spirit  of  hate  and  bitterness  between 
the  great  sections  of  this  country,  and  the  people  will  not  be  able  to  govern  it  with 
suflScieut  dispatch  and  unity.  In  that  event  popular  government  would  become 
impossible  ;  and  if  we  are  to  live  together,  then  we  must  have  one  mastf r,  to  whom 
we  may  look  for  the  justice  which  we  are  no  longer  capable  of  rendering  to  each 
other,  and  to  one  rule  for  the  unity  which  is  necessary  to  the  proper  dispatch  in  the 
affairs  of  government. 

"  But  whether  this  be  the  object  or  not,  they  are  acting  as  if  it  were,  and  pur- 
suing a  course  of  policy  that  will  inevitably  lead  to  it.  It  has  always  been  doubted 
whether  a  great  country  of  large  and  diversified  interests  could  be  ruled  by  a 
popular  Government  with  success.  The  consistency  and  dispatch  necessary  for  the 
efficiency  of  such  a  Government  can  be  found  only  in  the  supremacy  of  a  single 
will.  This  difficulty  has  never  been  met  successfully  except  by  the  great  American 
idea  of  confederacy.  This  treats  the  people  as  one  in  all  matters  where  their 
interests  and  rights  are  the  same,  and  leaves  to  the  Government  of  the  separate 
communities  those  interests  which  were  separate  and  distinct,  but  subjects  the 
citizen  to  the  direct  action  of  both  Governments.  By  this  system  all  the  interests 
of  the  community  were  analj'zed  and  distributed  according  to  theii'  nature;  common 
interests  were  confided  to  the  common  Government,  and  separate  interests  were  left 
to  the  control  of  the  State.  By  restricting  the  subjects  necessary  to  be  considered 
by  the  whole  people  only  to  those  of  common  interests,  it  became  practicable  for 
a  people  to  govern  a  much  greater  extent  of  country  well  aud  efficiently  than  w.ould 
have  been  possible  if  they  had  been  forced  to  regulate  all  the  concerns  of  society. 
It  is  this  great  American  idea  under  who^e  influence  our  progress  and  prosperity 
from  the  foundation  of  the  Government  up  to  1860  were  unparalleled  in  the  history 
of  the  world,  and  which  the  Radical  party  has  been  using  all  its  might  to  destroy 
and  overthrow." 

Mr.  Hunter,  up  to  a  very  recent  date,  was  one  of  the  few  debarred 

from  holding  any  ofiice.  State  oi-  Federal.    The  removal  of  his  political 

disabilities  was  one  among  the  last  acts  of  the  Forty-Second  Congress. 

286 


/^/i  yiZL/'  ^ 


JOHN  JAY. 

,  ff  JrX  OHlSr  JAY,  Envoy  Extraordinary,  and  Minister  Pleni- 
'Ij^'l^iA.'^^^  potentiary  to  Austria,  was  born  in  New  York,  23d 
■MjKF/^  June,  1817.  He  is  the  son  of  Judge  William  Jay, 
Mol>s,  known  as  a  jurist  and  philanthropist,  and  grandson  of 
(M|ffp  John  Jay,  the  first  Chief  Justice.  Young  Jay  lived  in 
pS'ijE  the  family  of  his  grandfather,  at  Bedford,  Westchester 
^'fe^l  County,  New  York,  until  the  death  of  the  latter  in  1829. 
His  education,  commenced  at  liorae  under  private  tutors,  was  cou- 
tinued  at  Dr.  Muhlenbergh's  Institute,  at  Flushing,  where  Bishops 
Bedell,  of  Ohio,  and  Odenheimer,  of  New  Jersey,  were  his  classmates, 
and  at  Columbia  College,  New  York,  where  he  graduated  second  in 
his  class  in  1836.  He  read  law  with  the  late  Daniel  Lord,  Jr.,  in 
whose  office  Attorney  General  William  M.  Evarts  was  his  fellow 
student.  He"  married,  in  1837,  Eleanor,  daughter  of  Mr.  K  W. 
Field,  and  continued  in  the  practice  of  the  legal  profession  until 
1858 ;  when,  upon  the  death  of  his  father,  with  whom  he  had  been 
constantly  associated  in  the  anti-slavery  movement,  he  removed  to 
the  family  place  at  Bedford. 

While  in  college,  in  1834,  he  became  a  manager  of  the  New  York 
Young  Men's  Anti-Slavery  Society,  a  branch  of  the  National  associa- 
tion, which  had  been  formed  at  Philadelphia  by  the  representatives 
often  States,  December  30th,  1833.  The  Philadelphia  Convention, 
at  the  suggestion  of  Judge  William  Jay,  and  m  accord  with  the 
views  declared  by  Congress  in  1791,  had  recognized  the  right  of 
each  State  to  legislate  exclusively  on  the  subject  of  slavery  within 
its  limits,  while  they  maintained  the  right  and  duty  of  Congress  to 
abolish  slavery  in  the  Territories  subject  to  its  exclusive  control ;  and 
at  the  same  time  they  declared  that  they  would  never  in  any  way 
countenance  the  slaves  in  vindicating  their  rights  by  physical  force. 
Despite  these  declarations,  they  were  denounced  by  presses  claiming 
to  be  respectable,  as  "  plotters  of  murder,  rapine,  and  a  dissolution 
of  the  Union  ;  "  and  on  the  4th  of  July,  1834,  an  anti-slavery  meeting 

287 


JOHN     J  A  T. 

in  New  York  was  dispersed  by  a  mob,  and  the  city  for  days  pre- 
sented scenes  of  riot  and  outrage  against  the  Abolitionists,  to  whom 
the  authorities  afforded  no  protection.  The  residence  of  Dr.  Abra- 
ham B.  Cox,  with  whom  young  Jay  was  then  boarding,  was  desig- 
nated among  those  to  be  assailed.  Jay  and  a  few  other  young  men 
supplied  themselves  with  arms,  and  made  known  their  intention  of 
defending  it,  and  the  mob  passed  to  places  where  no  resistance  was 
expected. 

Similar  outrages  against  the  Abolitionists  throughout  the  country 
soon  gave  to  the  Anti-Slavery  movement  a  national  character,  and 
aroused  the  American  spirit  in  the  North.  The  petitions  Ui  Congress 
increased  from  37,000,  in  1836,  to  300,000,  in  1888 :  and  in  1839 
the  number  of  societies  holding  the  Constitutional  views  expressed  at 
Philadelphia  was  1,650.  In  the  latter  year,  Jay,  who  had  continued 
to  act  with  the  Anti-Slavery  managers,  and  to  contribute  to  the 
Emancipator^  took  part  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  adoption  by  the 
Abolitionists  of  distinct  political  action.  The  necessity  for  such  a 
step,  while  becoming  more  and  more  evident,  was  extremely  dis- 
tasteful to  many  who  had  based  the  society  upon  religious  prin- 
ciple, and  who  feared  that  any  change  which  should  assimilate  the 
society  to  a  political  party  would  impair  its  character  and  influence. 

In  1839  were  held  at  New  York  the  anniversary  meeting  of  the 
society,  and  subsequently  an  Anti-Slavery  Convention.  At  the  first 
of  these.  Jay  presented  an  elaborate  report  on  the  Constitutional  right 
and  duty  of  Congress  to  exclude  slaveiy  from  the  Territories  and 
new  States ;  and  at  the  second,  he  made  a  speech  on  "  The  Dignity 
of  the  Abolition  Cause,"  in  which  he  argued  that  the  time  had  come 
when,  to  accomplish  their  objects,  they  must  resort  to  political  action 
and  the  use  of  the  ballot,  and  no  longer  confine  themselves  to  appeals 
to  the  conscience  and  understanding. 

The  necessity  of  political  action  gradually  impressed  itself  on  the 
Anti-Slavery  public,  especially  in  view  of  Mr.  J.  Q.  Adams'  declara- 
tion, that  "  the  preservation,  propagation,  and  perjietuation  of  slavery 
had  become  the  vital  and  animating  spirit  of  the  National  Govern- 
ment ;  "  and  tlie  next  year,  1840,  when  Harrison  was  elected  over 
Van  Buren,  some  7,000  votes  were  cast  for  the  Abolition  candidate, 
the  Hon.  James  G.  Birney. 

In  June,  1839,  the  Trustees  of  the  Episcopal  Theological  Semi- 
nary, at  their  meeting  in  New  York,  excluded  from  the  seminary, 

against  the  protest  of  Bishop  Doane,  a  colored  candidate  for  orders- 
ass 


JOHN     JAY. 

Mr.  Alexander  Crummell — in  disregard  of  the  constitution  of  the 
seminary,  which  entitled  all  such  candidates  to  admission.  Jay, 
learning  the  facts — for  all  mention  of  Mr.  Crummell's  color,  the  sole 
cause  of  his  rejection,  had  been  omitted  in  the  report  of  the  Trus- 
tees— disclosed  them  in  an  article  which  was  widely  reprinted  in 
America  and  Enghmd.  This  led  to  a  sharp  newspaper  controversy, 
in  which  Bishop  Onderdonk,  of  New  York,  attempted  to  vindicate 
his  treatment  of  Crummell,  assailed  Hon.  Charles  King,  then  the 
editor  of  the  American,  for  publishing  Mr.  Jay's  paper — an  assault 
which  Mr.  King  resented  with  spirit — and  condescended,  as  was 
remarked,  to  appeal  to  popular  prejudice  by  a  sneer  at  "amalga- 
mation." 

The  subject  was  reviewed  by  Jay,  some  two  years  later,  in  two 
articles  entitled  "  Caste  and  Slavery  in  the  Church,"  with  the  motto 
from  Job :  "  Upright  men  shall  be  astonished  at  this ;  "  which  were 
published  in  the  New  World — a  weekly  journal  edited  by  Mr.  Park 
Benjamin.  The  clamor  they  excited  led  to  an  editorial  disclaimer 
of  the  articles,  and  an  announcement  that  Mr.  Jay  was  the  author. 

Among  the  facts  quoted  to  show  the  active  interference  of  the 
Church  on  the  side  of  slavery,  was  one  connected  with  the  Board  of 
Missions,  whose  organ.  The  Spirit  of  Missions,  had  recently  alluded  to 
the  Bishop  of  Geoi^ia  as  testing,  in  his  Montpelier  Institute,  the  suffi- 
ciency of  slave  labor  to  support  it,  and  had  proposed  the  establish- 
ment of  a  mission  school  in  Louisiana,  to  be  sustained  by  a  planta- 
tion worked  by  slaves,  under  the.  auspices  of  Bishop  Polk,  who  aftei^ 
ward  became  a  noted  Confederate  general.  These  papers  were  sub- 
sequently republished  in  pamphlet  in  New  York  and  London,  and 
were  made  the  basis,  by  Dr.  Samuel  Wilberforce,  then  Bishop  of 
Oxford  (now  of  Wi nchester),  of  the  concluding  chapter  in  his  "His- 
tory of  the  Church  in  America."  The  bishop's  volume  was  an- 
nounced for  reprint  by  two  New  York  publishers ;  but  the  design  of 
republication  was  in  each  case  relinquished  when  it  was  found  that 
he  had  exposed  and  rebuked  the  pro-slavery  course  of  the  American 
clergy. 

Mr.  Jay's  comments  upon  the  scheme  for  sustaining  a  mission 
school  by  a  slave  plantation,  induced  remonstrances  from  New  York 
and  Illinois  to  the  Board  of  Missions,  at  their  sessions  in  Bost<3n,  one 
of  which  was  presented  by  Bishop  Eastburn.  A  proposition  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  views  of  the  remonstrants  was  met,  by  Bishop 
Ives,  with  a  threat  of  retirement  from  the  Board  should  it  be  adopted' 

389 


JOHN     JAY. 


and.  after  a  sharp  debate,  the  Board  contented  themselves  with  order- 
ing a  noticj  to  be  i^rinted  in  their  official  organ  that  they  were  not 
responsible  for  its  editorial  opinions. 

In  184:2,  Mr.  Jay  delivered  an  address  "  On  the  Progress  and  Re- 
sults of  Emancipation  in  the  West  Indies;"  reviewing  the  facts 
which  had  just  been  gathered  by  order  of  Parliament,  and  which 
Lord  Stanley  declared  (March  22,  1842)  "constituted  the  complete 
success  of  the  British  Emancipation,  so  far  as  related  to  the  primary 
and  paramount  objects  of  the  act."  He  dwelt  upon  the  conclusive 
proofs  afforded  by  that  history  of  the  perfect  safety  and  practicability 
of  immediate  emancipation,  and  concluded  by  anticipating  a  like  re- 
sult in  America  before  the  lapseof  another  generation. 

In  1844,  Jay  organized  a  demonstration  at  New  York  of  members 
of  both  the  Wliig  and  the  Democratic  parties  against  the  proposed 
annexation  of  Texas,  which  tbe  Abolitionists  had  denounced  as  early 
as  1836,  and  for  which  President  Tyler  had  made  propositions, 
through' Mr.  Upshur.  The  meeting  was  held  at  the  Broadway. 
Taber'nacle,  on  the  24thL  of  April,  and  was  presided  over  by  the  ven- 
erable Albert  Gallatin,  the  last  survivor  of  the  Cabinet  of  Jefferson, 
who  declared  that  the  proposed  annexation  would  be  a  breach  of  na- 
tional honor  toward  Mexico.  The  same  ground  was  taken  by  Chan- 
cellor Kent.  The  demonstration,  from  its  numbers  and  respecta- 
bility, had  a  marked  influence  upon  public  opinion,  and  induced  a 
counter  demonstration  in  Virginia,  but  it  failed  of  its  intended  effect 
Mr.  Van  Buren,  then  a  Democratic  candidate,  adopted,  in  his  letter 
to  Mr.  Hammet,  the  views  expressed  by  Mr.  Gallatin,  and  was 
cbopped,  at  the  Baltimore  Convention,  for  Mr.  Polk,  by  whom  the 
annexation  was  accomplished.  The  original  call  for  the  anti-Texan 
demonstration,  with  hundreds  of  signatures,  was  presented  by  Mr. 
Jay  to  the  New  York  Historical  Society. 

Strong  efforts  were  made  in  the  Presidential  canvass  to  mduce 
the  Abolitionists  to  vote  for  Mr.  Clay.  But  that  statesman,  in  a 
note  to  a  Southern  friend,  16th  August,  1844,  had  declared^  hunself 
not  opposed  to  Texan  annexatioiV  Jay,  writing  to  an  Anti-Slavery 
Committee,  reviewed  the  situation,  and  recommended  that  their  votes 
should  be  a  distinct  protest  against  the  measure.  This  policy,  advo- 
cated by  leading  Abolitionists,  was  so  far  adopted  that  60,000  votes 
were  cast  for  the  Hon.  John  P.  Hale. 

In  the  Episcopal  Convention  of  New  York,  Mr.  Jay  had  mtro- 
duced  and  renewed  a  motion  looking  to  the  admission  of  the  Colored 

290 


JOHN     JAY. 

Church  of  St  Philips.  This  motion  and  all  discussion  on  the  ques- 
tion had  been  uniformly  resisted  by  the  late  Hon.  John  C.  Spenser, 
Mr.  William  H.  Harrison,  of  Trinity  Church,  and  other  prominent 
gentlemen  of  the  clergy  and  laity,  at  whose  suggestion  the  resolution 
was  either  ruled  out,  as  not  in  order,  or  laid  upon  the  table  without 
discussion.  The  motion  being  renewed  year  by  year — and  some- 
times the  principle  was  introduced  in  different  forms  at  the  same 
session— the  opposition,  finding  that  their  Uictics,  instead  of  insuring 
quiet,  but  increased  and  prolonged  agitation,  concluded,  after  a  con- 
test of  nine  years,  to  allow  a  direct  vote  to  be  taken  on  the  question. 
Jay  called  for  the  vote  by  orders ;  which,  being  duly  seconded,  re- 
sulted in  the  admission  of  the  parish  by  a  large  majority — the  clerical 
vote  being  more  than  ten  to  one  in  its  favor :  Ayes,  140  ;  Nays,  13. 

Jay  defended  during  several  years,  in  the  New  York  courts,  per- 
sons arrested  as  fugitive  slaves.  Some  of  the  reported  cases  attracted 
attention,  both  at  the  North  and  the  South.  In  the  fii-st,  "  In  re 
Kirk,''  a  lad  who  had  concealed  himself  on  board  of  a  steamer  fi-om 
Savannah,  there  were  two  hearings  before  the  Hon.  Judge  Edmonds, 
After  the  first,  Kirk  was  discharged  as  detained  by  the  captain  with- 
out authority  ;  the  Judge  concluding  his  opinion  with  the  words  of 
Portia.-  "the  law  allows  it,  and  the  Court  awards  it"  An  order  for 
Kirk's  re-arrest  was  presently  issued  by  the  Mayor,  Mickles,  under 
an  old  statute  of  New  York.  Policemen  were  deputed  to  serve  it; 
and  a  reward  was  offered  for  his  capture,  which  was  effected  after  a 
few  hours — an  unwise  attempt  by  some  of  his  friends  to  carry  him 
out  of  the  city  in  a  box  having  been  at  once  discovered.  He  was 
taken  before  the  Mayor,  wlio  was  proceeding  to  dispose  of  the  case, 
when  Jay  brought  it  again  before  Judge  Edmonds  by  a  new  writ  of 
habeas  corpus,  addressed  to  Mr.  Mickles,  requiring  the  instant  pro- 
duction of  Kirk;  and  after  an  elaborate  argument,  in  which  the  late 
James  T.  Brady  and  Nathaniel  B.  Blunt  appeared  for  the  Mayor, 
the  New  York  statute  was  pronounced  unconstitutional,  under  the 
decision  of  the  Sui:)reme  Court  of  the  United  States  in  the  matter  of 
Prigg,  declaring  all  legislation  in  regard  to  fugitives  exclusive  in 
Congress.  Among  the  prominent  Abolitionists  who  took  an  active 
interest  in  this  case  were  ,the  venerable  Isaac  T.  Hopper  and  Mrs. 
Lydia  Maria  Child,  and  the  released  boy  was  sent  to  Boston  and 
educated  by  Mr.  Francis  Jackson, 

Another  case  in  18-t7,  "/?«  re  Da  Cosia,"  concerned  two  Bra- 
zilian slaves,  who — after  one  decision  against  them  by  Judge  Daly, 

291 


JOHN     JAY. 


on  the  ground  that  the  counsel  employed  to  defend  them  in  Mr.  Jay's 
absence  had,  by  demumng  to  the  answer,  admitted  its  averment  that 
they  were  sailors  who  might  be  claimed  by  treaty ;  and  a  second  ad- 
verse decision  by  the  late  Judge  Edwards,  on  the  gi'ound  that  under 
Judge  Daly's  decision  the  matter  was  "  res  adjudicaia  "—made  their 
escape  by  the  aid  of  a  fellow-prisoner  from  the  Eldridge  Street  prison, 
where  they  had  been  left  by  the  claimant,  without  authority  of  law, 
pending  a  further  hearing  on  a  third  writ  of  hnbeas  corpus  which  had 
been  issued  by  the  late  Chief  Justice  Oakley. 

The  judgment,  "  In  re  Belt,''  where  the  claimant  of  an  alleged 
fugitive  was  required  to  show  that  the  party  was  held  to  service 
"  under  the  laws  of  that  State,"  induced  a  message  from  the  Governor 
of  Maryland  to  its  Legislature;  and  resolutions  from  that  body, 
claiming  from  the  State  of  New  York  the  value  of  the  slave.  It  was 
also  cited  in  the  Senate,  by  a  Southern  Senator,  as  proving  the  ne- 
cessity of  additional  pro-slavery  legislation.  In  the  "  Lemon  case," 
argued  by  Mr.  Jay  before  Mr.  Justice  Paine,  and  afterward  contested 
by  the  State  of  Virginia  in  tlie  Supreme  Court  and  Court  of  Appeals 
of  the  State  of  New  Yoi-k,  eight  slaves  who  had  been  brought  by 
their  mistress  to  New  York  to  be  shipped  to  Texas,  were  set  at 
liberty,  and  were  subsequently  cared  for  in  Canada,  and  provided 
with  a  fann. 

In  the  case  of  Henry  Long,  a  fugitive  from  Georgia,  which  oc- 
curred later  in  1850,  after  the  passage  of  Mr.  Clay's  compromise, 
including  the  Fugitive  Slave  Act,  the  Union  Safety  Committee,  ap- 
pointed at  the  memorable  meeting  at  Castle  Garden,  retained  the  late 
eminent  counsel,  George  Wood,  to  assist  the  counsel  of  the  claimant, 
Mr.  H.  M.  Western,  to  whom  was  also  presented  a  service  of  plate. 
The  claim  was,  in  the  first  place,  contested  by  Mr.  Jay— who,  in 
this  as  in  several  other  cases,  was  ably  assisted  by  the  late  Hon. 
Joseph  L.  White— on  the  ground  of  the  illegality  of  the  proceedings 
before  the  Commissioner,  Mr.  Hall.     They  were  subsequently  re- 
moved, by  the  counsel  for  the  claimant,  before  Judge  Judson,  of 
Connecticut,  and  Long  was  surrendered.     The  voluntary  interference 
of  the  Union  Safety  Committee  to  obstruct  an  alleged  fugitive  seek- 
ing to  protect  his  freedom  by  an  appeal  to  the  courts,  did  not  com- 
mand universal  approval ;  and  by  a  subsequent  subscription.  Long's 
freedom  was  purchased  from  his  master.     The  difficulties  and  ex- 
penses attending  his  recapture  were  complainingly  alluded  to  at  the 
South,  as  showing  that  the  new  act  had  failed  to  afford,  so  far  as  New 

392 


JOHN     JAY. 

York  was  concerned,  a  convenient  or  economical  process  for  the  re- 
capture of  escaped  slaves. 

The  excitement  produced  by  this  case  was  followed  by  Mr.  Jay's 
name  being  blackballed  by  the  governors  of  the  Union  Club  of  New 
York.  A  correspondence,  printed  for  the  use  of  the  club  in  Januaiy, 
1851,  by  the  late  Colonel  James  Monroe,  and  James  J.  Ring,  showed 
that  Mr.  Jay  had  been  proposed  by  them  as  a  member  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  Col.  Monroe,  who  was  a  Vij-ginian  by  birth,  feeling,  and  edu- 
cation ;  that  Col.  Monroe  had  soon  after  advised  Mr.  Jay  that  he 
had  received  an  intimation  from  some  of  the  governors  of  the  club  of 
an  intent  to  blackball  him  unless  his  name  was  withdrawn,  on  the 
ground  of  his  advocacy  of  St.  Philip's  Church,  and  of  his  anti-slavery 
views  generally ;  and  that  Mr.  Jay  had  replied  that  his  name  had 
been  put  up,  not  at  his  own  request  but  at  Col.  Monroe's  friendly 
solicitation,  and  that  he  was  not  disposed  to  authorize  its  withdrawal 
in  consequence  of  such  a  threat. 

Two  years  before  this,  in  18-48,  Mr.  Jay's  health  induced  a  visit 
to  Europe,  accompanied  liy  his  wife.  During  the  time  passed  by 
them  in  England,  Mr  Jay  made  the  acquaintance  of  several  English 
and  foreign  authors,  since  dead,  among  whom  were  Hallam,  Macau- 
ley,  Eogers,  Wordsworth,  Prof.  Wilson,  JeflFrey,  Talfourd,  Thackeray, 
Grote,  Nassaw  W.  Senior,  John  Kenyon,  Crabbe  Eobinson,  the 
Chevalier  Bunsen,  Prof  Whewell,  Charles  Babbage,  Lady  Morgan, 
Lady  Duff  Gordon,  Sir  David  Brewster,  Lord  Moi-peth,  Sir  Robert 
HaiTy  Inglis,  etc.,  etc.  Sir  Fitzroy  Kelly,  late  Attorney  General, 
accompanied  him  to  the  Law  Courts,  and  he  was  cordially  received 
by  King  Louis  Phillippe  and  his  Queen,  then  living  in  exile  at  Clair- 
mont  From  England  he  went  to  Paris,  which  still  bore  the  marks 
of  the  Insurrection  of  June,  and  where  Mr.  Rives  was  then  our  Min- 
ister; and  returned  home  after  a  tour  through  Switzerland  and  North- 
ern Italy  (pending  an  armistice  between  the  Austrian  and  Piedmon- 
tese  forces),  parts  of  Germany,  including  Frankfurt,  where  the  Revo- 
lutionary Assembly  was  in  session ;  Holland,  and  Belgium. 

During  his  absence  occurred  the  Buffalo  Convention,  when  the 
Anti-Slavery  Party,  coalescing  with  a  dissatisfied  wing  of  the  De- 
mocracy, nominated  Mr.  Van  Buren,  for.  whom  290,000  votes  were 
cast  in  the  canvass  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  Gen.  Taylor  over 
Mr.  Cass.  The  hopes  entei-tained  from  Taylor  and  Fillmore — tlie 
latter  of  whom,  when  in  Congress,  had  commanded  the  confidence  of 
the  Abolitionists — were  disappointed  by  the  defection  by  Mr.  Web- 

2'.t3 


JOHN     JAY. 

ster,  on  the  7th  of  March,  1850 ;  the  death  of  Gen.  Taylor,  in  July ; 
and  the  approval,  by  Mr.  Fillmore,  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  The 
popular  repugnance  to  that  act  was  increased  by  the  proceedings, 
similar  to  those  in  Long's  case,  had  under  color  of  it ;  b}'  the  efforts 
of  Bishop  Hopkins  and  others  of  the  clergy  to  vindicate  the  Divine 
sanction  of  slavery ;  and  when,  in  1852,  Gen.  Scott  was  defeated  by 
Mr.  Franklin  Pierce,  it  was  said  that  the  Whig  Party  had  died  of  an 
attempt  to  swallow  the  Fugitive  Slave  Act. 

When,  in  1854,  the  pledge  given  by  Mr.  Pierce  in  his  Inaugural 
not  to  disturb  the  quiet  of  the  country,  was  l:)roken  by  the  proposal 
to  repeal  the  Missouri  Compromise,  Mr.  Jay  was  the  president  of  an 
anti-slavery  organization  in  New  York,  called  the  '•  Free  Democratic 
Club,"  and  in  corresjjondenee  with  Senators  Chase,  Hale,  Sumner, 
and  other  gentlemen  of  similar  views.  With  the  first  motion  for  the 
repeal,  made  "hy  Mr.  Dixon,  of  Kentucky — with  the  view,  as  was 
supposed,  of  forcing  Mr.  Douglass  to  adopt  that  policy — Mr.  Jay 
prepared  a  call  under  the  heading:  "No  Violation  of  Plighted  Faith! 
No  Repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise!  "  inviting  the  citizens  of  New 
York  to  meet  at  the  Broadway  Tabernacle,  on  the  30th  of  January, 
to  declare  their  determination  to  resist  any  interference  with  that 
ancient  landmark.  The  call  was  first  presented  to  pronounced  Con- 
servatives of  both  jjarties,  and  was  signed  by  many  who,  in  the  hope 
of  conciliating  the  South,  had  concurred  in  the  compromises  of  Mr. 
Clay.  The  meeting  was  presided  over  by  a  well-known  bank  presi- 
dent, Mr.  Shepard  Knapp,  and  addressed  by  the  late  Judge  Emmett 
and  Mr.  James  W.  Gerard.  Decided  resolutions,  drawn  by  Mr.  Jay, 
and  confined  strictly  to  the  subject  of  the  call,  were  adopted  by  ac- 
clamation. The  voice  of  New  York  thus  uttered,  was  immediately 
echoed  fi-om  Cincinnati,  where  the  call  bore  the  same  heading:  "No 
Violation  of  Plighted  Faith ! "  and  presently  New  Haven,  Boston, 
and  countless  towns  and  villages  throughout  the  North  and  West, 
joined  in  announcing  the  same  determination. 

Mr.  Jay  organized  a  second  demonstration  at  the  Tabernacle,  on 
the  19th  of  February,  composed  chiefly  of  mechanics,  which  was  ad- 
dressed by  the  late  Joseph  Blunt,  the  Hon.  John  P.  Hale,  and  Henry 
Ward  Beecher ;  a  third  on  the  14th  of  March,  which  was  presided 
over  by  the  venerable  Abi-aham  Van  Ness,  who  was  nominated  by  the 
Hon.  Moses  H.  Grinjiell,  opened  with  prayer  by  Dr.  Vermilye,  and 
addressed  by  the  late  William  Curtis  Noyes  and  Mr.  Kauffmann; 

and  a  fourth  meeting  in  the  City  Hall  Park  on  the  14th  of  May, 

294 


JOHN     JAY. 

which  was  presided  over  b}^  the  late  Hou.  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  the 
friend  and  Attorney  General  of  President  Jackson,  and  the  late 
Thomas  Fessenden. 

A  general  committee,  about  125  in  number,  embracing  all  the 
officers  of  tbe  various  meetings,  bad  been  appointed  with  power; 
and  under  their  authority  a  resolution  drawn  by  Jay  was  adopted, 
inviting  the  citizens  of  the  State,  without  distinction  of  party,  "  who 
were  disposed  to  maintain  the  rights  and  principles  of  the  North  ;  to 
stay  the  extension  of  slavery  to  the  Territories ;  to  rescue  from  its 
control  the  Federal  Government ;  and,  so  far  as  can  properly  be 
done,  to  kindly  aid  the  citizens  of  the  South  in  peacefully  hastening 
its  end,  as  a  system  unjust  in  itself  and  unworthy  of  our  Republic—-. 
to  assemble  in  convention  ....  to  determine  what  course  patriot- 
ism and  duty  require  ns  to  pursue."  The  resolution  further  declared 
that  "the  citizens  of  the  Free  States  generally,  and  also  of  Maryland, 
Delaware,  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and  the  Slave  States,  who  sympathize 
with  these  views,  be  invited  to  hold  conventions  in  their  respective 
States,  with  a  view  to  united  action." 

Mr.  Jay  attended  the  New  York  State  Convention,  held  under 
these  resolutions  at  Saratoga  on  the  10th  of  August,  1854 — ^an  enthu- 
siastic and  determined  body,  presided  over  by  the  Hon.  John  A 
King,  as  temporarj^  Chairman,  and  Judge  W.  T.  McCoun,  as  perma- 
nent President ;  and  which,  after  a  declaration  of  principles,  adjourned 
to  meet  at  Auburn,  in  September.  He  was  the  author  of  two  ad- 
dresses to  the  people  of  the  State,  issued  soon  after  this — one  em- 
anating from  the  Free  Democi'atic  Convention  of  the  State  (October, 
1854),  signed  by  John  P.  Hale,  Hiram  Barney,  and  John  Jay ;  and 
another,  Augnist,  1855,  from  the  Free  Democratic  Club  of  the  city 
of  New  York — both  urging  the  necessity  of  harmonious  action,  and 
the  latter  recommending  the  election  of  delegates  only  to  the  Conven- 
tion of  the  new  party  which  assumed  the  name  of  Republican.  This 
advice  was  adopted ;  and  on  the  assembling  of  the  Republican  Con- 
vention at  Syracuse,  on  the  27th  September,  1855,  the  Whig  Con- 
vention, which  met  there  at  the  same  time,  formally  adopted  the  new 
platform,  dissolved  their  old  organization,  and  were  absorbed  into  the 
Republican  Party. 

Similar  movements  occurred  in  the  meanwhile  in  other  States, 
stimulated  by  the  exposure  by  the  House  Committee  of  the  frauds 
organized  against  Kansas  and  the  brutal  assault  upon  Mr.  Sumner ; 
and  in  June,  1856,  the  National  Republican  Convention  held  their 
first  meeting  in  Philadelphia  and  nominated  Mr.  Fremont,  upon  a 

205 


JOHN     JAY. 

platfoi'm  embodying  the  Constitutional  anti-slavery  princip  es,  on 
which  the  Abolitionists  some  twenty-six  years  before  had  taken 
their  stand  in  the  same  city. 

Jay  took  part  in  the  Presidential  campaign,  and  an  address  de- 
livered by  him  at  Bedford,  entitled :  "  America  Free  or  America 
Slave,"  was  published,  with  a  map  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  as  a 
campaign  document  The  l,3il,000  votes  cast  for  Fremont  gave 
new  confidence  to  the  Eepublicans,  and  little  disposed  them  to  ac- 
quiesce in  the  further  attempts  made  by  the  Buchanan  administra- 
tion to  force  slavery  upon  Kansas,  and  to  establish,  by  judicial  de- 
cision, that  black  men  had  no  rights.  The  Abolitionists  in  their 
progress  had  found  themselves  impeded  by  the  adverse  influence  of 
church  organizations  and  religious  societies ;  and  among  the  latter, 
the  course  pursued  by  the  American  Tract  Society,  and  which  had 
been  gravely  reviewed  by  Judge  William  Jay,  aroused  warm  disap- 
proval. At  their  anniversary  meeting  in  1858,  held  in  the  New 
York  Academy  of  Music,  Mr.  Jay  offered  a  resolution,  "  That  noth- 
ing published  by  the  Society  shall  countenance  the  idea  that  the 
Scriptures  sanction  the  lawfulness  of  slavery."  The  resolution  was 
laid  upon  the  table  on  the  motion  of  Mr.  Daniel  Lord,  Jr.,  after  a 
speech,  to  which,  as  he  declined  to  jDcrmit  a  reply  by  a  temporary 
withdrawal  of  his  motion,  Mr.  Jay  responded  by  a  letter  in  the  Inde- 
pendent,  then  edited  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  P.  Thompson.  The 
persistence  of  the  managers  of  the  Society  in  disregarding,  on  a  ques- 
tion of  such  moment,  the  views  believed  by  many  to  be  held  by  a 
majority  of  the  life-dii-ectors  and  members  throughout  the  country, 
induced  the  introduction  into  the  New  York  Legislature,  of  a  bill 
giving  to  life-members  of  charitable  societies  the  right  to  vote  by 
proxy.  This  bill  passed  the  Assembly,  and  was  advocated  by  Mr. 
Jay  before  the  Judiciary  Committee  of  the  Senate,  who  reported  in 
its  favor,  although  it  failed  to  pass.  Jay,  having  been  assailed  for 
his  part  in  the  matter  by  the  Christian  Intelligencer  and  the  Journal 
of  Commerce,  responded  by  a  review  of  the  course  of  the  managers 
and  their  defenders,  and  a  vindication  of  the  principles  of  the  pro- 
posed act 

In  1859,  proofs  accumulated  that  the  African  slave  trade  had 
greatly  increased,  and  that  "the  root  of  the  evil,"  as  Mr.  Seward  de- 
clared, "was  in  the  city  of  New  York."  In  the  Episcopal  Diocesan 
Convention  for  that  year,  Mr.  Jay  presented  a  petition  setting  forth 
that,  "  in  defiance  of  the  laws  of  God  and  the  statutes  of  this  repub- 
lic," the  trade  had  been  reopened,  and  was  being  prosecuted  from 

296 


JOHN     JAY. 

tbe  port  of  New  York,  within  the  limits  and  jurisdiction  of  tUe 
diocese,  and  praying  inquiry.  His  motion  that  tbe  petition  be  re- 
ferred, was  laid  on  tbe  table,  and  this  action  of  the  Convention  called 
forth  an  expression  of  surprise  and  regret  fi-om  the  London  Christian 
Observer.  At  tbe  next  Convention,  in  1860,  the  chair  being  occu- 
pied by  tbe  Eev.  Dr.  Creigbton,  Mr.  Jay  presented  a  preamble  and 
resolutions  upon  the  subject,  asking  tbe  bishop  to  prepare  a  pastoral 
letter,  the  clergy  to  preach  against  the  wickedness  of  the  ti-ade,  and 
the  laity  to  use  their  influence  against  it  W ben  proceeding  to  speak 
to  the  resolution,  be  was  called  to  order,  and  a  motion  made  to  lay 
the  resolution  on  the  table.  Mr.  Jay  claiming  the  floor  and  declin- 
ing to  yield  it,  it  was  held,  on  tbe  suggestion  of  Dr.  Francis  Vinton, 
that  while  by  tbe  rules  of  the  House  a  member  could  preface  a  reso- 
lution with  an  expression  of  bis  views  upon  tbe  subject,  tbe  moment 
a  resolution  was  offered,  the  House  could  dispose  of  it  as  it  pleased ; 
and  upon  this  ground  the  resolution  was,  tabled  by  a  great  majority. 

At  the  evenmg  session  of  tbe  same  day,  Bishop  Horatio  Potter  in 
the  chair,  Mr.  Jay  said  be  rose  to  offer  a-  resolution  touching  some  of 
the  foreign  missions  of  tbe  Church,  and  that  "  tbe  Convention  per- 
haps anticipated  bis  announcement  that  he  referrei;!  to  their  missions 
on  tbe  Western  Coast  of  Africa.  Mindful,"  be  added,  "of  the  rale 
recognized  by  tbe  Convention  this  morning,  that  a  member  has  tbe 
right,  in  advance  of  the  presentation  of  a  resolution,  to  state  its  pur- 
port, bis  general  views  upon  tbe  subject,  and  bis  reasons  why  it 
should  be  adopted,  I  shall  proceed  to  follow  this  course  with  such 
brevity  as  I  may  find  convenient  [Sensation.]  I  am  glad,  Sir,  that 
I  have  tbe  opportunity  of  doing  this  with  the  Provincial  Bishop  in 
his  seat  as  the  presiding  ofiicer  of  this  house— our  own  Eight  Eev- 
erend  Father,  accustomed  to  preside  over  this  Council  of  tlie  Church 
with  fairness,  with  consistency,  and  with  courtesy,  and  who  is  alike 
able  and  ready  to  protect  members  in  their  constitutional  right,  and 
to  maintain  unimpaired  that  decency  of  procedure  that  should  char- 
acterize this  Convention  against  all  attempts,  by  whomsoever  made, 
to  interrupt  its  proceedings  or  compromise  its  dignity.  The  danger. 
Sir,  that  I  anticipate  to  our  Mission  on  tbe  Coast  of  Africa,  arises 
from  the  re-cstablishment  at  our  doors  of  the  African  slave  trada" 

Mr.  Jay  was  here  called  to  order  from  all  parts  of  the  house,  and 
there  ensued  a  scene  of  excitement  and  disorder  unusual  in  that  grave 
body.  The  bishop,  unmoved  by  the  clamor,  reminded  the  Conven- 
tion that,  by  the  rule  recognized  in  the  morning,  the  speaker  had  the 
right  to  express  his  views,  and  earnestly  appealed  to  them  to  preserve 

2H7 


JOHN     JAY. 

silence.  Mr.  Jay,  in  the  course  of  bis  speech,  contested  tlie  accuracy 
of  the  averment  constantly  made,  that  the  Episcopal  Church  had  ob- 
served a  cautious  neutrality  on  the  general  question  of  slavery,  and 
presented  an  array  of  facts  to  show  that,  instead  of  neutrality,  there 
had  been  acquiescence  and  approval ;  that  the  hannony  of  action, 
on  which  gentlemen  were  solacing  themselves,  had  been  a  harmo- 
nious co-ojieration  with  the  supporters  and  advocates  of  slavery — an 
United  action  on  the  side  of  the  oppressor,  and  against  the  oppressed ; 
and  that  the  legitimate  results  of  that  course  were  before  them  in  the 
enslavement  in  Arkansas  of  free  negroes,  and  the  revival  in  their 
own  Diocese  of  the  African  slave  trada 

The  resolution  was  laid  upon  the  table  by  a  vote  of  55  to  7,  on 
the  part  of  the  clergy,  and  of  44  to  6,  on  the  part  of  the  laity;  but 
more  than  two-thirds  of  both  ordei's  represented  in  the  Convention 
refrained  from  voting. 

In  the  Presidential  campaign,  Mr.  Jay  delivered  an  address  on 
"  The  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Pro-Slavery  Democracy,  and  the  Rise  and 
Duties  of  the  Republican  Party;  "  at  the  close  of  which,  confidently 
anticipating  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  which  was  to  crown  with 
success  the  long  struggle  to  stay  the  extension  of  slavery,  and  to 
array  the  Government  on  the  side  of  freedom,  he  said : 

"  Let  the  consciousness  of  our  superiority  in  wealth  and  power 
compel  us  to  that  gentleness  and  moderation  which  the  strong  should 
exercise  toward  the  weak  ;  nor  allow  our  hostility  to  the  dark  system 
which  they  cherish  to  render  us  uncharitable  in  our  judgment,  nor 
forgetful  of  the  thousand  ties  of  kindred  and  of  ancient  association 
which  have  constituted  us  in  the  past,  as,  God  grant  they  may  in 
the  future,  an  united  people." 

During  the  first  week  of  January,  1861,  Mr.  Jay  learned,  from  a 
source  entitled  to  credit,  that  the  Confederates  contemplated  the  early 
seizure  of  Washington,  imder  color  of  law,  as  belonging  to  the  State 
of  Maryland,  which,  in  advance  of  the  seizure,  was  to  repeal  tiie  law 
which  had  ceded  that  part  of  the  District  of  Columbia.  He  imme- 
diately called  the  attention  of  the  country,  through  the  New  York 
Tribune^  to  the  danger  threatening  the  capital.  The  subsequent 
arrest,  by  Gen.  McClellan,  of  the  members  of  the  Maryland  Legisla- 
ture, was  in  pursuance  of  advice  given  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  Cabinet  by  a 
member  of  the  New  York  Union  League  Club,  that  the  Legislature 
was  expected,  immediately  on  their  assembling,  to  commit  the  State 
to  the  rebellion. 

In  March,  1861,  Mr.  Jay  attended  the  inauguration  of  the  Presi- 

298 


JOHN     JAY. 

dent,  at  Washington  ;  and  in  April  he  assisted  at  the  gathering  at 
Union  Square,  originated  by  Col.  Cannon,  which  has  been  alluded 
to  by  Senator  Morgan  as  "  that  now  historic  popular  outburst,"  which 
sounded  tlie  key-note  of  the  national  feeling  at  the  humbling  of  the 
flag  at  Sumter.  On  the  4th  of  July,  the  day  fixed  by  Mr.  Lincoln 
for  the  assembling  of  Congress,  Mr.  Jay  delivered  an  address  at  Mt. 
Kisco,  Westchester  County,  New  York,  to  a  large  assemblage  in  the 
open  air,  on  "The  Great  Conspiracy  and  England's  Neutrality;" 
which  was  sharply  criticized  by  English  newspapers  and  Eeviews, 
and  reprinted  in  full  as  far  as  Honolulu. 

Diu-ing  the  war,  Mr.  Jay  was  associated  first  with  the  Loyal  Na- 
tional League,  of  New  York,  which  had  numerous  branches  through 
the  State,  and  held  an  important  Convention  at  Utica ;  and  then  with 
the  Union  League  Club.  In  1862,  he  took  part  in  the  State  canvass, 
in  which,  through  the  defection  of  a  Republican  faction,  (jen.  Wads- 
worth  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Horatio  Seymour ;  and  he  reviewed  the 
military  and  political  situation  in  a  speech  at  Morrisania,  New  York. 
At  the  Episcopal  Convention  of  this  year,  Mi-.  Jay  appeared  as  a 
delegate  fjora  St  Philip's  Church,  which  had  promptly  chosen  him 
one  of  their  representatives,  on  learning  that  he  had  been  omitted 
from  the  delegation  of  his  own  parish,  tlirough  the  influence  of  a 
political  coalition  which  had  already  excluded  him  from  the  vestry. 
The  excuse  given  by  the  vestry  was  their  disapproval  of  his  past 
action  as  a  delegate,  against  the  slave  trade ;  and  his  reply  was  pub- 
lished in  New  York  on  the  morning  that  the  Conventi(Mi  met 

He  occasionally  expressed  and  discussed,  through  the  Tribune, 
the  disloyalty  which  had  crept  into  the  Episcopal  pulpit,  and  which, 
in  two  churches  in  Westchester  County,  had  been  so  defiant  that  the 
clergymen  h;id  refused  to  read  the  prayers  appointed  for  the  country 
and  its  defenders,  and  were  thus  lending  the  influence  of  the  Church 
to  the  cause  of  the  Rebellion.  Botli  the  reverend  gentlemen  alluded 
to  proved  to  be  from  Maryland. 

After  the  riots  of  July.  1863,  when  a  colored  orphan  asylum  was 
burnt,  and  negroes  were  hung  in  the  streets,  the  Union  League  Club 
resolved  to  raise  one  or  more  colored  regiments.  The  requisite  au- 
thority, having  been  denied  by  Gov.  Seymour,  was  given  by  Mr. 
Secretary  Stanton;  and  Mr.  Jay  addressed  the  second  of  these  regi-- 
ments,  the  26th  United  States  Colored  Troops,  on  its  departure  on 
the  morning  of  Easter  Sunday.  CoL  Silliman,  who,  in  receiving  the 
colors  prepared  by  ladies  of  New  York,  said  that  he  and  his  men 

2'J9 


JOHN     JAY. 


"  would  love,  honor,  and  protect  them  with  their  lives,"  fell  before 
the  war  was  ended. 

In  December,  1863,  Mr.  Jay,  in  a  letter  to  the  American  Anti- 
Slavery  Society,  on  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  its  foundation  at 
Pliiladelphia,  said : 

"  Prejudices  deeply  seated  may  obscure,  perhaps,  for  another  gen- 
eration, the  credit  due  to  the  gentlemen  whose  careful  action  in  con- 
vention you  are  met  to  celebrate  ;  but  the  candid  historian  will 
admit  that  they  exhibited,  not  a  blind  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the 
slave,  but  a  conscientious  regard  to  the  integrity  of  the  Constitution, 
and  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  the  country.  He  will  record  that 
it  was  the  Abolitionists,  who,  avoiding  all  infringement  on  the  con- 
stitutional rights  of  the  slaveholders,  would  allow  no  infringement 
upon  tlieir  own  ;  and  that  to  them  belongs  the  honor  of  vindicating 
the  right  of  petition,  and  of  maintaining,  against  brute  violehce  and 

legislative  menace,  freedom  of  speech  and  of  the  press 

"The  political  principles  declared  at  Philadelphia  have  stood 
the  test  of  time  and  trial,  and  have  received  tlie  emphatic  indorse- 
ment of  the  American  people ;  and  the  Anti-Slavery  movement  in 
the  United  States,  with  exceptions  that  more  plainly  mark  the  rule, 
has  been  mai'ked  by  statesmanlike  characteristics  now  crowned  with 
success,  and  by  a  love  of  country,  that  neither  delay,  injustice,  nor 
disappointment  could  impair  or  disturb. 

"  Its  progress  was  not  always  observed  by  the  unobservant,  and 
we  heard  occasionally  that  abolition  was  dead ;  but  when  the  hour 
came  that  the  Slave  Power  deemed  itself  strong  enough  to  destroy 
the  republic,  anticipating  an  easy  victory  by  the  aid  of  its  fellow- 
traitors  in  the  North,  the  hour  had  also  come,  although  they  knew  it 
not,  when  the  loyal  American  people  were  educated  to  that  point  of 
•  patriotism,  pluck,  and  cons  itutional  strength,  tliat  they  were  able  to 
meet  the  blow,  treacherously  as  it  was  given,  and  to  return  it  with  a 
vigor  which  is  sending  Slavery  and  the  Rebellion  to  a  common 

grave." 

On  the  publication,  in  1864,  of  the  call  of  the  National  Repub- 
lican Committee  for  the  Nominating  Convention  at  Baltimore  on  the 
16th  of  June,  Mr.  Jay,  in  a  printed  letter  addressed  to  their  Chair- 
man, the  Hon.  Edwin  D.  Morgan,  objected  to  the  terms  of  the  call, 
as  excluding  all  who  were  not  in  favor  of  "  the  complete  suppression 
of  the  existing  Rebellion,  ivith  the  cause  thereof,  by  vigorous  ivar," 
and  suggested  that  this  seemed  to  narrow  the  party  to  those  who 
were  retdv  to  prosecute  the  war,  not  simply  for  the  suppression  of 

oUO 


JOHN     JAY. 

the  Rebellion,  but  beyond  tliat  point  for  the  abolition  of  slavery ;  and 
that  such  a  restriction  of  the  party,  even  if  properly  within  the 
power  of  the  Committee,  would  be  at  variance  with  the  pledges  of 
the  administration,  unjust  to  the  War  Democracy,  open  to  constitu- 
tional doubt,  and  dangerous  to  the  safety  of  the  countiy.  No 
change,  however,  was  made  in  the  terms  of  the  call,  and  the  letter 
was  not  published. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  Mr.  Jay  delivered  an  address  before  the 
Brooklyn  Union  Club,  at  their  headquarters,  on  the  site  of  Fort 
Greene,  upon  "  the  great  issue  "  involved  in  the  choice  between  Lin- 
coln or  McClellan.  Alluding  to  the  foreign  efforts  to  destroy  the 
Republic ;  the  conduct  of  the  English  Government  and  Laird's  iron- 
clads; the  inconsistency  of  English  criticism;  the  bearing  of  the 
election  upon  Europe ;  our  foreign  and  domestic  opponents  in  the 
canvass ;  the  Southern  proofs  of  our  progress  towards  reunion  ;  our 
national  strength,  and  Governor  Seymour's  threat  of  repudiation ;  the 
effect  of  the  Chicago  platform,  if  adopted,  on  the  rights  of  neutrals, 
and  the  termination  of  the  blockade,  with  a  reply  to  the  recent  ad- 
dress of  the  Hon.  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  attempting  to  ignore  that 
platform. 

After  the  election  he  assisted  at  a  celebration  dinner  of  the  same 
club,  on  the  22d  of  December,  and  in  response  to  a  toast,  spoke  of 
"our  triumph  and  our  duties." 

In  1865,  Mr.  Jay,  who  had  for  some  time  acted  as  a  manager  of 
the  Freedman  Aid  Society  of  New  York,  assisted  Mr.  McKim,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  others  in  accomplishing  a  union  of  all  the  Aid 
Societies  of  the  North  and  "West,  and  took  part  in  the  inauguration 
of  the  Freedman's  Aid  Union  at  the  Cooper  Institute  on  the  9th  of  May. 
He  went  frequently  to  Washington  during  the  war,  sometimes  in  con- 
nection with  members  of  the  Union  League  Club,  Mr.  John  M.  Forbes, 
of  Boston,  and  others,  to  advocate  the  enlistment  of  the  blacks,  a 
proclamation  of  emancipation,  the  organization  of  a  Freedman's 
Bureau,  the  adoption  by  Congress  of  the  constitutional  amendment 
abolishing  Slavery,  and  on  the  passage  by  the  House  of  that  amend- 
ment he  drafted  the  report  made  to  the  Club  upon  the  adoption  of 
the  measure  which  was  to  crown  with  success  the  Anti-Slavery  move- 
ment. 

He  also  occasionally  visited,  at  Fortress  Monroe,  and  the  army  of 
the  Potomac,  his  son.  Col.  William  Jay,  who  served  fi-om  the  beginning 
to  the  end  of  the  war,  on  the  staffs  of  Gen.  Wool,  Gen.  Morrell,  Gen. 
Sykes  and  General  Meade.     During  one  of  his  visits  to  Fortress  Mon- 

301 


JOHN     JAY. 


roe,  in  March,  1862,  he  witnessed  the  assault  of  the  Merrimac  upon 
the  Congress,  the  Cumherland,  the  Minnesota  and  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
tlie  next  day  the  memorable  fight  with  the  victorious  Monitor.  On 
auother  visit  he  accompanied  President  Lincoln,  Mr.  Stanton,  and  Mr. 
Chase  on  their  return  to  Washington  the  morning  after  the  destruction 
of  the  Merrimac.  as  far  as  Craney  Island  and  Norfolk,  which  had 
surrendered  the  night  before. 

In  the  autumn  of  1865  he  again  visited  Europe,  with  part  of  his 
family,  and  presided  at  the  Thanksgiving  dinner  at  the  Grand  Hotel 
at  Paris,  on  the  7th  of  Deceraber,where,  at  his  suggestion.  Southern  gen- 
tlemen, who  acquiesced  in  the  result  of  the  war,  were  asked  to  assist 
at  the  festival,  and  the  proceedings,  to  which  interest  was  added  by 
the  presence  of  Gen.  Schofield,  were  reported  by  the  London  Times, 
and  attracted  attention  on  the  Continent.  Aftei-  passing  the  winter 
at  Rome  in  February,  he  presided  at  an  American  breakfast  at  Naples 
in  honor  of  Washing-ton's -birthday.  A  toast  offered  on  this  occasion 
to  Garibaldi,  brought  from  that  eminent  Italian  this  response  : 

"  The  sympathy  which  comes  to  me  from  free  men,  citizens  of  a 
great  nation  like  yourselves,  gives  me  courage  for  my  task  in  tlie 
cause  of  Liberty  and  Progress.  I  regard  to-day  the  American  people 
as  the  sole  arbiter  of  questions  of  humanity,  amid  the  universal 
thraldom  of  the  soul  and  the  intellect.  Please  express  these,  my 
sentiments  to  your  countrymen,  and  l:)elieve  me  yours  for  life, 
"  Caprera,  March  12,th,  1866.  "  G.  Garibaldi." 

During  Mr.  Jay's  absence  in  Europe  he  was  elected  President  of 
the  Union  League  Club  of  New  York,  and  in  a  letter  from  Paris, 
reviewing  the  situation,  he  recommended  the  propriety  of  "  cordially 
opening  your  doors  to  Southern  gentlemen  coming  to  New  York, 
who,  however  deeply  involved  they  may  have  been  in  the  Rebellion, 
are  now  prepared  not  simply  to  acquiesce  in  the  result  of  the  war, 
and  the  abolition  of  Slavery,  but  to  assist  in  the  work  of  reconstruc- 
tion upon  the  basis  of  universal  education  and  equal  rights." 

After  his  return  some  disposition  was  manifested  to  dissolve  the 
Club  as  a  body,  that  had  completed  the  work  it  was  intended  to  do 
in  maintaining  the  integrity  of  the  Government.  The  Executive 
Committee,  and  a  majority  of  tlie  members  adopted  a  difl'erent  view, 
and  when  about  removing  to  their  new  club  house  in  1868,  Mr.  Jay 
alluded  to  the  work  which  yet  remained  for  the  Club,  "  in  assisting 
to  reconstruct  in  harmony  our  National  Union ;  to  restore  the  na- 
tional prospei-ity  ;  to  enlighten  by  the  Church  and  the  School  House 


JOHN     JAY. 

the  masses  of  the  South ;  to  correct  among  ourselves  the  Legislative 
corruption,  which  has  become  so  appalling ;  to  secure  the  indepen- 
dence and  purity  of  the  judiciary,  that  sheet  anchor  of  a  people's 
rights;  to  protect  the  integrity  of  our  public  schools;  the  inviola- 
bility of  the  public  faith ;  to  rescue  our  citizens  from  the  profligacy 
of  a  municipality,  whose  system  of  Government  is  a  scheme  of  plun- 
der; to  lift  the  control  of  our  politics  from  the  secret  caucuses 
of  interested  politicians  to  a  higher  level  and  more  intelligent  discus- 
sion." 

In  1867,  Mr.  Jay  was  appointed  by  Governor  Ferton  of  New 
York,  a  Commissioner  to  represent  the  State  in  the  establishment  of 
a  National  Cemetery  on  the  battlefield  of  Antietam.  His  report,  com- 
municated to  the  Senate  by  a  special  message  dated  April,  1868,  in 
addition  to  a  table  of  the  dead  of  New  York  biu'ied  in  the  Antietam 
Cemetery,  gave  the  facts  of  a  controversy  raised  by  a  resolution  offered 
b}'  Mr.  Jay  in  the  Board,  with  the  ajiproval  of  Gov.  Fenton,  to  ]>ro- 
vide  for  the  allotment  or  purchase  of  grounds  for  the  bm-ial  of  the 
Confedei'ate  dead  who  fell  in  the  battle  of  Antietam,  in  pursuance  of 
the  provisions  of  the  4th  Section  of  the  Act  of  Incorporation  granted 
by  the  State  of  Maryland.  This  resolution,  after  a  decided  approval 
from  Gen.  Grant,  was  adopted  by  the  votes  of  seven  States,  Maryland, 
New  York,  Wisconsin,  Michigan,  Vermont,  Indiana  and  Minnesota, 
against  two,  Ohio  and  West  Virginia ;  and  Gov.  Geary  of  Pennsyl- 
vania soon  after  advised  the  Legislature  of  that  State,  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  its  passage,  he  had  withheld  an  appropriation  made  by 
them  to  the  Cemetery.  The  Hon.  John  Covode,  M.  G,  in  a  published 
letter  next  assailed  Gov.  Fenton  and  the  Trustees  as  guilty  of  a 
violation  of  trust  in  perverting  a  loyal  Cemetery  to  the  interment  of 
rebels.  Mr.  Jay's  official  Keport  contained  his  reply  to  this  attack, 
vindicating  the  action  of  the  Beard  as  strictly  demanded  by  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Charter,  and  good  faith  on  the  part  of  the  Trastees, 
and  insisting,  that  tiie  decent  burial  of  the  Confederate  dead,  whose 
remains  were  being  disturbed  by  the  plough-share  and  the  harrow, 
was  a  matter  that  concerned  the  conscience,  the  humanity,  and  the 
honor  of  the  nation. 

In  June,  186v,  the  Union  League  Clubs  of  New  York  and  Phil- 
adelphia, with  a  delegation  from  Massachusetts  were  asked  to  under- 
take the  composing  of  a  difficulty,  that  had  arisen  among  the  union 
men  of  Virginia,  and  which  threatened  to  demoralize  the  party  not 
only  in  Virginia,  but  the  South.  Senator  Henry  Wilson  and  five 
other  gentlemen  from   Boston,  the  Hon.  Geo.  H.  Boker  and  Mr. 

303 


JOHN     JAY. 

Gibbons  of  Philadelphia,  and  a  deputation  fi'om  the  Club  of  New 
York,  met  at  the  Executive  Mansion  at  Eichmond,  by  the  invitation 
of  Gov.  Pierpont,  who  asked  Mr.  Jay  to  preside  over  their  deliber- 
ations. At  the  close  of  two  sittings  and  hearings,  the  late  Hon.  .John 
Minor  Botts,  Gov.  Pierpont,  Mr.  Chandler,  the  U.  S.  District  Attoi-ney, 
Mr.  Hunicutt,  and  others,  including  several  men  of  color,  -both  parties 
united  in  a  call  for  a  new  Convention  to  perfect  the  Republican 
organization  of  the  State. 

In  August,  1H67,  Mr.  Jay,  having  been  invited  by  the  Comite 
Francaise  d'  Emancipation,  and  the  British  and  Foreign  Anti-Slavery 
Society  to  assist  at  Paris  at  the  Anti-Slavery  Conference  under  the 
Presidency  of  the  Due  de  Broglieand  Monsieur  Edouard  Laboulaye, 
addressed  to  them  an  historic  sketch  of  emancipation  in  the  United 
States  from  the  days  of  the  Abolition  Society  in  1781,  with  a  note  of 
the  condition  of  the  freedmen,  which  was  published  in  their  Eeport. 

In  the  investigation  organized  by  the  Union  League  Club  in 
November,  1868,  into  the  naturalization  and  election  frauds  by 
which  it  was  believed  the  election  of  the  Hon.  Joim  A.  Griswold  as 
Governor  of  New  York  had  been  wrongfully  defeated,  Mr.  Jay  pre- 
pared a  memorial  to  Congress,  and  assisted  to  procure  from  the  House 
the  appointment  of  the  special  committee  of  inquiry  headed  by  the 
Hon.  William  Lawrence,  and  assisted  by  Messrs  Blair,  Dickie,  Kerr, 
•&c.,  whose  voluminous  report  was  the  next  year  made  the  basis  of 
Congi'essional  action. 

In  the  Presidential  canvass  he  made  a  speech  which  was  published 
with  the  title,  "  The  Presidential  Election,  what  it  means  for  America 
and  Europe,"  and  in  alluding  to  a  remark  publicl}^  made  at  Rome 
by  Mr.  W.  W.  Story,  to  the  effect  that  his  Holiness  the  Pope  had 
been  a  steady  and  uncompromizing  opponent  of  the  i-ebellion.  Mr. 
Jay  quoted  the  letter  of  the  Sovereign  Pontifi",  dated  at  St  Peters, 
1863,  addressed  to  "  the  illustrious  and  Honorable  President  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy,"  as  showing  that  Pius  IX.  was  the  only  sove- 
reign in  Europe  who  recognized  the  Confederacy  and  received  its 
envoys,  assuming  that  the  American  Republic  was  divided,  and  ex- 
pressing the  hope  that  "the  other  people  of  America  and  their  rulers'' 
would,  like  Davis,  be  willing  to  listen  to  peace. 

Ml'.  Jay  has  been  at  different  periods  actively  associated  with  the 
New  York  Historical  Society,  the  International  Copyright  Club,  the 
American  Geographical  and  Statistical  Society,  before  which  he  read 
a  paper  on  "  the  Statistics  of  American  Agriculture,"  with  the  New 
York  State  Agricultural  Society,  and  the  Bible  Society.     Among 

'304 


J  O  H  N     J  A  y. 

liis  occasional  speeches  of  later  years  a  number  have  been  conDeeted 
with  receptions  at  the  Union  League  Club,  such  as  at  the  breakfast  to 
Goldwin  Smith ;  the  receptions  of  General  Sheridan,  of  Rev.  Newman 
Hall,  of  Senators  Colfax  and  Fessenden ;  the  dinner  to  General  Grant, 
&c.,  with  tributes  to  the  memory  of  Edward  Everett,  Wm.  Curtis 
Noyes,  Capt.  Chas.  H.  Marshall,  Gov.  Andrew,  of  Massachusetts, 
Gov.  John  A.  King,  and  others. 

Mr.  Jay  was  nominated  by  President  Grant  as  Minister  to  Austria, 
in  April,  1869,  and  after  the  Senate's  confirmation,  which  was  said  to 
have  been  unanimous,  the  Union  League  Ciub  held  a  meeting,  at 
which  Dr.  Joseph  P.  Thompson  made  to  their  retiring  president  a 
farewell  address.  Mr.  Jay  in  his  response  said  that  the  mission  with 
which  he  had  been  honored  by  the  President,  was  undoubtedly  in- 
tended in  large  measure  as  a  compliment  to  the  Club,  as  an  acknowl- 
edgement of  the  illustrious  services  rendered  to  the  country  by  a 
body  upon  which,  in  the  expressive  language  of  Mr.  Colfax,  "  the 
Government  had  leaned  in  the  darkest  hour  of  trial  and  of  peril." 

During  his  residence  at  Vienna,  Mr.  Jay  has  concluded  two  Con- 
ventions, one  with  the  late  Chancellor  of  the  Empire,  the  Count  de 
Beust,  on  the  subject  of  natui-alization,  the  other  with  the  present 
Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs,  the  Count  Aiidrassy,  for  the  mutual 
protection  of  trade  marks.  The  latter  was  the  first  foreign  treaty 
made  by  the  Empire  written  in  Hungarian  as  well  as  in  English  and 
German  text,  and  i^  noticing  its  proclamation  by  the  President  in 
the  three  languages,  the  Pester  Lloyd  remarked  that  this  was  the 
highest  recognition  of  the  kingdom  of  Hungary  that  hadoccuiTcd  for 
400  years. 

The  relations  of  the  Austro-Hungarian  Government  and  people 
with  those  of  the  United  States,  have  been  marked  by  the  utmost 
cordiality,  of  which  the  latest  exhibition  was  the  reception  of  Gen. 
Sherman  by  the  Emperor  in  June,  1872,  and  the  language  used  by 
the  Count  de  Beust  at  a  diplomatic  dinner  given  by  Mr.  Jay  on 
Washingt,on's  .birthday,  1870,  indicated  the  progress  of  the  empire 
under  that  statesman.  He  said-  "I  trust  the  motto  of  the  great 
Republic  across  the  ocean,  'Unity  and  Freedom,'  will  always  be 
and  remain  ours.  Unity  and  Freedom  !  The  first  as  the  only  ele- 
ment of  strength,  the  last  as  the  great  principle  of  progress." 

The  Count  Audrassy  also  in  signing  the  Trade  Marks  Convention, 

immediately  on  his  accession  to  power,  expressed  his  pleasure  that 

the  first  convention  he  had  to  conclude  with  a  foreign  power  was  with 

the  American  Republic. 

305 


GUSTAVUS    KOERNER. 


mKt^t  ^^-  G^USTAVUS  KOERNER,  of  Blinois,  was  bom 
AlAm^fr     ^"^ov.  20th,  1S09,  in  the  city  of  Frankfort,  Germany. 
i*'*~~i:'iStf/'A^:     His  father,  Bernhard  Koerner,  was  a  publisher  and 
boolvseller,  and  much  esteemed  as  a  man  of  gi-eat  public 
spirit     After  the  War  of  Independence,  and  the  restora- 
tion of  Frankfort  as  a  free  city^he  was  repeatedly  elected  to 
the  Legislative  Assembly,  in  which  he  became  conspicuously 
known  for  his  strong  liberalism. 

Gustavus  Koerner  received  his  first  education  at  an  elementary 
school  established  upon  the  system  of  Pestalozzi,  called  the  Model 
School ;  and,  when  about  twelve  years  of  age,  he  was  sent  to  the  col- 
lege, where  he  remained  about  six  years,  and  until  he  left  for  the 
University  of  Jena,  to  study  law.  He  attended  tliat  celebrated  uni- 
versity for  two  years ;  prosecuted  his  studies  one  year  in  Munich ; 
and  completed  them  at  Heidelberg  in  1831,  where  he  graduated,  and 
obtained  the  degree  of  LL.D. 

While  a  student  he  employed  the  greater  part  of  his  leisure  during 
vacations  in  visiting  almost  every  part  of  Germany;  familiarizing  him- 
self with  its  institutions,  and  acquiring  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
character  of  the  people. 

During  his  residence  in  Munich,  in  December,  1830,  and  while, 
in  consequence  of  the  excitement  produced  by  the  French  Revolution 
of  July,  disturbances  of  a  serious  natui-e  had  broken  out  in  that  place 
as  well  as  in  many  others  in  Germany,  in  which  bloody  conflicts  be- 
tween the  military  and  civilians — very  often  students — took  place, 
Koerner  was  charged,  with  some  forty  other  students,  with  having 
forcibly  attacked  the  armed  troops  of  the  king.  For  this  he  was 
closely  imprisoned  for  five  months,  but  was  finally  discharged  from 
the  complaint  by  judgment  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Bavaria. 

In  1832,  after  having  graduated  at  Heidelberg,  he  was  admitted 

307 


GUSTAVUS     KOERNEE. 

by  the  Supreme  Court  of  his  native  State  to  practice  law.  Early  in 
1833,  however,  he.  with  thousands  of  others,  principally  young  pro- 
fessional men  and  students,  joined  in  an  attempt  to  break  up  the 
German  Diet,  which  had  rendered  itself  obnoxious,  and  had,  by  un- 
constitutional ordinances,  destroyed  the  liberty  of  the  press,  the  free- 
dom of  teaching  at  the  universities,  and  the  rights  of  association  and 
public  meeting  in  the  several  States  of  Germany. 

The  movement,  undertaken  in  behalf  of  the  introduction  of  a 
different  form  of  government  based  upon  republican  principles,  en- 
listed the  active  support  of  young  Koerner.  He  became  involved  in 
a  rising  at  Frankfoi-t,  on  the  3d  of  April,  1833 ;  and,  in  a  conflict 
with  the  soldiery,  while  storming  a  military  post,  was  disabled  by  a 
wound.  He  succeeded,  after  the  failure  of  the  undertaking,  in  es- 
caping fi'om  the  city  to  France. 

The  French  Government  did  not  permit  him  to  stay,  and  sent  him, 
under  escort,  to  Switzerland.  He,  however,  again  made  his  way,  in 
disguise,  into  France ;  went  to  Paris,  and  finally  to  Havre,  where  he 
overtook  some  very  intimate  friends,  being  about  to  sail  for  the  United 
States.  This  party  he  joined,  and  arrived  in  New  York  on  the  18th 
of  June,  1833.  He  accompanied  his  friends  to  Illinois,  where  they 
bought  farms  and  settled. 

Mr.  Koerner  immediately  turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  the 
Common  Law.  He  attended  the  Law  School  at  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
and,  in  June,  1835,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  by  the  Supreme  Court 
He  selected  Belleville,  near  St.  Louis,  as  iiis  home ;  and  here  married 
Miss  Sophie  Engelman,  in  1836. 

In  1842  he  was  elected  from  St  Clair  County  to  the  Legislature 
for  two  years ;  and,  in  1845,  was  appointed  by  Governor  Ford  to  a 
vacancy  on  the  Supreme  Bench,  to  which  he  was  shortly  aftenvards 
again  elected  by  the  Legislature.  The  office  of  Judge  having,  in  1849, 
been  made  elective  by  the  people,  he  was  not  a  candidate,  and  re- 
turned to  pi-actice. 

In  1852  he  was  elected  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Illinois,  for  four 
years.  He  attended,  as  delegate,  the  Philadelphia  Convention,  in 
1856,  which  nominated  Fremont  and  Dayton ;  and,  in  1860,  he  was 
a  delegate  for  the  State  at  Large  to  the  Chicago  Convention,  which 
nominated  Abraham  Lincoln. 

The  war  breaking  out,  Governor  Koerner,  in  the  summer  of  1S61, 
raised  an  infantry  regiment  (43d),  but  before  its  organization  was  en- 
tirely completed,  he  received  from  the  President  an  apjjointment  as 

30S 


GUSTAVUS     KOERNER. 

Colonel  of  Volunteers,  an  1  was  assigned,  first  to  the  staff  of  General 
Fremont,  and  afterwards  to  that  of  General  Halleok.  Severe  illness 
compelled  liim  to  resign  in  Mareh,  1862  ;  and,  in  June  following,  the 
President  appointed  him  Minister  to  Spain,  which  place  he  filled 
until  Januar}',  1865,  when  he  resigned,  and,  returning  to  the  United 
States,  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

In  1868  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  electors  for  the  State  at 
Large  on  the  Grant  ticket,  and  presided  over  the  Electoral  College 
of  Illinois.  In  1871  he  was  appointed  by  the  Governor  one  of  the 
newly  created  board  of  Railroad  Commissioners,  of  which  he  was 
afterwards  elected  Chairman. 

Governor  Koerner's  well-known  statesmansliip,  and  his  large  and 
liberal  views  on  questions  of  public  policy,  naturally  indicated  him 
as  a  leader  in  the  political  contest  of  1872,  and  he  accordingly  be- 
came the  nominee  of  the  Liberal  Republican  party  for  Governor  of 
the  State  of  Illinois.  His  fitness  for  this  post  was  generally  ad- 
mitted, and  his  name  gave  character  and  strength  to  the  new  party, 
born  at  Cincinnati,  with  Mr.  Greeley  as  its  champion.  Speaking  of 
the  nomination,  a  western  journal  said :  "  Gustavus  Koerner,  the 
Liberal  candidate  for  Governor  of  Illinois,  is  not  only  an  accom- 
plished scholar,  but  a  learned  lawyer  of  sound,  discriminating  judg- 
ment, controlled  and  regulated  by  a  refined  sense  of  justice — all 
subordinated  to  an  integrity  beyond  question." 

His  conduct  throughout  a  most  brilliant  and  exciting  canvass 
was  universally  commended,  and,  although  sharing  the  defeat  which 
almost  everywhere  attended  the  Liberal  movement,  he  ran  some 
16,000  votes  ahead  of  the  Presidential  nominee  of  his  party.  "With 
record  untarnished,  and  integrity  and  honesty  of  purpose  unques- 
tioned, he  has  again  assumed  the  duties  of  his  pi-ofession,  and  gives 
promise  of  cxDntinued  usefulness  and  well  doing  in  the  years  to  come. 

309 


CHARLES    P.    KIMBALL. 

By  BYRON   D.   VEREILL,  Esq. 


1^ 


N  a  brief  sketch  of  any  eminent  living  citizen  it  is 
"f^^  obviously  difficult  to  do  bim  exact  and  impartial 
^■^fe^  justice  ;  not  so  much,  however,  from  lack  of  space  or 
W'k.  woi"'^s  to  set  forth  the  familiar  and  passing  events  of  his 
''/p'3  personal  history,  as  for  want  of  the  perfect  and  rounded 
period  of  his  whole  life,  which  grows,  develops,  and  ripens, 
like  fruit,  to  disclose  its  true  and  best  flavor  only  when  it 
is  mellowed  by  time.  Daily  contact  with  the  man  so  familiarizes 
us  with  his  many  virtues  that  we  ordinarily  quite  overlook  them, 
and  commonly  underestimate  their  possessor.  Nevertheless,  while 
the  man  passes  away,  his  deeds  of  virtue  live  on,  and  will  in  due 
time  bear  theu"  fruit,  and  do  him  the  justice  which  our  pen  fails  to 
record. 

The  Hon.  Charles  P.  Kimball,  now  one  of  the  foremost  men  in 
his  native  State,  was  born  in  Oxford  county,  Maine,  on  the  6th  of 
August,  1826.  His  father,  Mr.  Peter  Kimball,  now  deceased,  was 
a  farmer  and  carpenter,  of  small  means,  but  favorably  known  for 
his  honesty,  sobriety,  industry,  and  integrity.  He  reared  a  large 
family  of  children,  of  whom  Charles  was  the  iifth.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen,  this  ambitious  son  had  enjoyed  small  opportunities  for 
schooling,  his  time  having  been  chiefly  employed  in  the  field 
and  at  the  bench  for  the  general  benefit  of  the  family.  Desiring 
greater  facilities  for  education  than  could  be  afi"orded  at  home,  he 
then  entered  into  a  contract  with  his  father,  by  virtue  of  which  he 
became  his  own  master  during  the  remainder  of  his  minority,  and 
stipulated  to  pay  for  his  freedom  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  per  year,  and  board  and  clothe  himself  For  a  slender 
youth  (as  he  then  was)  of  eighteen  years,  born  and  bred  in  a 
remote  pari  of  a  thinly  populated  country,  this  was  certainly  a 
bold  stroke  ;  but  the  sequel  proves  him  to  have  been  more  than 

311 


CHARLES    P.    KIMBALL. 

equal  to  the  undertaking.  He  lost  no  time  in  making  his  way  to 
Bridgton,  Cumberland  county,  where  an  elder  brother  (James  M. 
Kimball,  now  a  wealthy  citizen  of  Portland)  had  already  estab- 
lished a  carriage  manufactory.  There,  laboring  at  very  moderate 
wages,  early  and  late, — sometimes  in  his  brother's  employ,  and 
sometimes  for  others,  but  always  upon  mechanical  work, — he 
managed,  by  dint  of  extraordinary  perseverance,  to  pursue  his 
studies  at  school  from  six  to  eight  months  in  each  year,  while  he 
learned  his  trade  as  carriage-maker,  supported  himself,  paid  his 
father  the  stipulated  sum  before  the  expiration  of  his  minority 
and  saved  something  besides  ! 

That  was  the  end  of  Mr.  Kimball's  school-days.  His  majority 
attained,  he  borrowed  of  the  late  Hon.  Theodore  Ingalls,  of  Bridg- 
ton, the  sum  of  six  hundred  dollars,  to  which  he  added  the  savings 
of  his  own  earnings,  and,  with  this  small  capital,  at  once  embarked 
in  the  carriage  business  at  Norway  Village,  in  his  native  county. 
There  the  wonderful  resources  of  his  mechanical  genius,  his  busi- 
ness enterprise  and  talents,  and  his  force  of  character,  soon  became 
apparent.  No  obstacle  was  too  great  to  be  overcome,  no  minutia  too 
small  or  trifling  to  receive  his  attention.  So  rapid  was  the  increase 
of  his  business,  that  soon  scores  of  workmen  were  in  his  employ, 
and  new  animation  was  given  to  the  place.  Indeed,  the  older 
residents  of  that  beautiful  village  quietly  sitting  in  the  valley  of 
the  Pennisseewassee  among  the  hills  of  Old  Oxford,  can  testify 
that  its  liveliest,  busiest  days  were  realized,  when  "  C.  P.  Kim- 
ball's Carriage  Factory"'  (so  ran  the  familiar  sign)  was  in  full 
operation,  and  his  public-spirited  activity  pervaded  the  whole  com- 
munity. While  there,  in  June,  1849,  his  marriage  took  place  to 
Mary  E.,  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Wm.  K.  Porter,  of  Turner, 
Me.,  with  whom  his  domestic  life  ran  with  constant  happiness 
until  her  recent  decease.  His  pleasant  village-home  at  Norway 
was  a  model  in  its  way,  and  is  ever  gratefully  remembered  by  those 
who  enjoyed  its  oprn  hospitality.  But  the  limited  communica- 
tions and  resources  of  an  inland  village  at  length  ceased  to  aiford 
the  facilities  for  a  business  commensurate  with  Mr.  Kimball's 
rapidly  expanding  capabilities  ;  and,  early  in  1854,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight,  he  removed  to  Portland,  Me.  There  entering  at 
once  upon  an  extensive  business,  which  has  since  steadily  increased, 
he  is  now  at  the  head  of  two  large  establishments  for  the  manu- 
facture of  carriages,  and  the   proprietor  of  the  largest  and  finest 

312 


CHARLES    P.    KIMBALL. 

carriage  repository  in  Maine,  besides  being  a  member  of  tbe  firm 
of  Kimball  Bros.,  iu  Boston,  whose  repository  is  so  widely  known. 
In  short,  he  is  one  of  the  acknowledged  mechanic  princes  of  New 
England.  His  genius  is  at  once  inventive  and  practical ;  seizing 
quickly,  almost  intuitively,  upon  every  hint  of  science  and  of 
kindred  art,  he  readily  attains  the  nearest  practicable  approach  to 
perfection  in  his  department  of  mechanical  skill.  His  carriages, 
always  built  under  his  own  supervision  and  from  jilans  and  draw- 
ings made  by  himself,  have  a  sort  of  personality  about  them  ;  and 
their  fame  is  not  only  as  wide  as  our  own  country,  but  has  ex- 
tended wherever  civilized  people  ride  in  a  civilized  way. 

His  extensive  business,  conducted  with  great  executive  and  finan- 
cial ability,  has  proved  fairly  remunerative  ;  but  he  still  remains 
no  less  attentive  to  his  affairs,  no  less  unassuming  and  plain  in  his 
style  of  living,  and  no  less  the  friend  of  the  laboring  man.  In  a 
speech  delivered  by  him  at  Bangor,  in  1870,  occurs  the  following 
passage  :  "  Those  men  who  desire  a  further  reduction  in  the  price 
of  labor  without  a  corresponding  reduction  in  the  necessaries  of 
life,  either  do  not  understand  the  condition  of  the  laboring  masses, 
or  desire  to  make  them  serfs  and  slaves  for  their  own  benefit.  Gen- 
tlemen, you  will  pardon  me  if  I  say,  on  this  question,  I  have  a  deep 
and  very  decided  feeling.  If  I  did  not  take  the  side  of  the  labor- 
ing mechanic  on  all  the  great  issues  pertaining  to  their  welfare,  I 
should  be  recreant  to  all  the  early  associations  of  my  life  ;  for  it  is 
well  known  to  most,  if  not  all  of  you,  that  I  learned  my  trade  at 
the  bench,  working  early  and  late  with  my  brother  mechanics  to 
earn  my  first  hundred  dollars.  I  was  with  them,  and  one  of  them, 
until  I  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  ;  and  from  that  time  to  the 
present,  I  have  employed  a  large  number  of  skilled  mechanics  all 
the  time,  and  think  I  may  be  considered  capable  of  knowing  their 
sentiments  and  appreciating  their  condition  and  wants  ;  and  God 
forbid  that  I  should  ever  forget  that  I  am  a  mechanic,  or  that  I 
should  cease  to  labor  for  what  I  believe  to  be  for  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  mechanic  and  laboring  man." 

Prior  to  the  great  civil  war,  Mr.  Kimball's  business  connections 
with  the  South  were  so  extensive  that,  in  1861,  heavy  losses  fell  to 
his  lot, — such,  indeed,  as  might  well  have  crippled  and  broken  a 
less  resolute  man.  But  his  afiairs  were  promptly  arranged  in  a 
manner  as  honorable  and  creditable  to  himself  as  it  was  satisfactory 
to  his  friends  ;  his  credit  was  uushaken,  and  his  business  went  on 
with  redoubled  energy  and  prosperity. 

313 


CHARLES    P.    KIMBALL. 

During  these  years  of  great  business  activity,  Mr.  Kimball  has 
found  time  to  take  a  prominent  part  in  many  of  the  philanthropic 
movements  of  the  day,  especially  devoting  himself  to  the.  interests 
of  the  laboring  classes.  He  has  long  been  a  leading  spirit  in,  and 
several  years  President  of,  the  Maine  Charitable  Mechanics'  Asso- 
ciation— a  society  peculiarly  calculated  to  better  the  condition  of 
mechanics  mentally,  socially,  and  pecuniarily;  and  its  prosperity 
and  usefulness  are  largely  due  to  his  untiring  efforts  in  its  behalf. 

In  [lolitics  he  has  also  been  prominent  within  his  own  city  and 
State.  Having  thoughts  and  opinions  of  his  own  and  an  easy  flow 
of  speech,  he  is  able  in  debate  and  never  content  to  remain  silent 
on  any  of  the  great  issues  of  the  day  ;  and  his  commanding  pres- 
ence, pleasing  address,  and  courteous  bearing,  have  pointed  him  out 
as  the  natural  presiding  officer  of  many  of  the  political  conventions 
of  his  party.  Always  a  Democrat  of  the  Jackson-Douglas  type, 
he  was  during  the  rebellion  well  known  and  active  as  a  "  War 
Democrat."  Usually  declining  political  preferment,  and  being  of 
the  party  not  much  in  power  since  he  became  prominent,  he  has, 
nevertheless,  been  at  one  time  Surveyor  of  the  Port  of  Portland  and 
Falmouth,  and  twice  an  alderman  of  his  city,  to  say  nothing  of  places 
of  minor  importance  and  trust,  which  he  has  always  faithfully  filled. 
While  an  alderman  in  186 J,  although  his  party  was  in  the  minority 
in  the  city  government,  he  was  especially  active,  energetic,  and  per- 
severing in  securing  liberal  aid  from  the  city  for  the  families  of  vol- 
unteers in  the  service  of  their  country. 

The  Gubernatorial  convention  of  his  party  held  in  Bangor 
in  1869,  over  which  he  presided,  unanimously  nominated  him  as 
their  candidate  for  Grovernor,  but  he  promptly  and  positively  de- 
clined the  honor  ;  and  when  the  same  party  met  in  convention 
at  Augusta,  in  June  of  the  present  year  (1871),  to  put  in  nom- 
ination n  candidate  upon  the  "  new  departure"  platf^m,  Mr.  Kim- 
ball was  so  eminently  the  man  for  the  position  that  upon  the  first 
ballot  he  received  44.5  votes  out  of  463 — the  whole  number  cast. 
All  parties  complimented  him.  The  leading  Republican  journal 
of  the  State  had  previously  said  :  "  Mr.  Kimball  stands  better 
with  the  business  people  of  the  State  than  any  other  candidate 
the  party  can  present,  for  the  reason  that  he  is  better  known  as 
an  energetic  and  skillful  manufacturer  and  a  prompt  and  honor- 
able business  man  than  as  a  Democratic  politician.  Democracy 
in  Mr.  Kimball  is  one  of  those  traits  in   certain  good  men    that 

314 


CHARLES     P.     KIMBALL. 

cannot  be  accounted  for  on  any  other  ground  than  a  pardonable 
vanity  to  lead  in  a  party  whose  hopeless  minority  will  never  en- 
danger the  necessity  of  holding  office  to  the  neglect  of  business." 

A  religious  journal  of  Republican  proclivities  remarked,  that 
the  Democracy  had  taken  a  new  departure  in  one  sense  at  least — 
having  put  in  nomination  a  candidate  whose  character  was  so  far 
above  reproach  that  no  Republican  could  call  it  in  question. 

■  It  is  unquestionably  a  fact  that  few  men  stand  as  high  in  the 
esteem  of  their  fellow-citizens,  and  no  one  has  more  or  warmer 
friends  outside  of  his  own  party  The  Boston  Post  truthfully 
remarks  :  "  As  a  public-spirited  citizen  in  every  relation,  and,  in 
fact,  in  all  the  elements  of  his  character,  he  was  without  a  critic  and 
clearly  above  the  i-each  of  reproach."  Similar  statements  without 
number  could  be  quoted  from  the  public  journals  of  New  England. 
His  letter  of  acceptance,  which  space  forbids  us  to  quote,  has 
been  characterized  by  the  highest  authority  as  "  admirable,"  and 
as  "a  manly,  straightforward,  and  patriotic  document."  He 
received  the  most  flattering  vote  of  any  candidate  in  his  party 
and  State  since  the  war,  running  far  ahead  of  his  ticket  in  his  own 
city  and  neighboring  towns.  Soon  after  the  election,  his  successful 
competitor,  Governor  Perham,  nominated  and  the  President  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Kimball  one  of  the  United  States  Centennial  Commis- 
sioners on  the  celebration  of  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  Amer- 
ican Independence — a  distinction  so  well  merited  that  the  Governor 
was  highly  praised  by  all  parties  for  his  magnanimous  and  discrimi- 
nating act 

During  the  summer  of  1872  the  Carriage  Builders  of  the  United 
States  held  a  convention  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  formed  a  Na- 
tional Association.  Mr.  Kimball  was  unanimously  elected  President 
of  the  Convention  and  of  the  Association,  and  delivered  an  address 
on  the  past  and  present  of  carriages,  which  was  received  with  great 
favor,  and  has  since  been  widely  copied  and  praised,  as  being  marked 
by  that  ability  and  historical  knowledge  of  the  subject  for  which  its 
author  is  justly  distinguished. 

At  the  Democratic  Convention  held  at  Bangor  in  June,  1872,  Mr. 
Kimball  again  received  the  unanimous  nomination  of  his  party  for 
Governor,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Liberal  Republicans  on  the  Greeley 
and  Brown  ticket.  His  name  was  received  with  still  greater  favor 
than  in  1871,  and  the  city  and  county  of  his  residence  did  him  espe- 
cial honor;  but  the  power  of  the  Republican  party  of  Maine,  when 

31.-) 


CHARLES     P.     KIMBALL. 

roused  to  action,  was  too  great  to  be  broken,  even  with  the  best  man 
of  their  opponents  in  the  field  against  them. 

Mr.  Kimball  is  not  the  man,  however,  to  be  in  any  way  injured 
by  a  political  defeat  of  this  kind.  Successful  in  business,  and  now 
just  in  the  prime  of  life,  physically  robust  and  large,  urbane  and 
agreeable  in  conversation,  liberal  in  sentiment,  genial,  frank,  hospit- 
able, charitable,  and  generous,  he  is  certain  to  be  popular  wherever 
he  is  known,  and  sure  to  be  known  very  widely.  Careless  of  some 
of  the  minor  indices  of  an  educated  man,  and  making  no  pretensions 
to  scholarship,  he  is,  nevertheless,  thoroughly  self-educated,  in  the 
broadest  and  most  important  sense  of  the  term. 

Conspicuous  for  the  many  virtues  of  his  character,  private  and 
public ;  his  large  intercourse  with  men  in  business  and  politics ;  his 
great  mechanical  genius;  his  fine  executive  and  financial  ability; 
his  temperate,  active,  and  laborious  habits  ;  his  quick  perceptive 
powers ;  and  his  extensive  reading,  historical  and  political,  aided  by 
great  natural  talents  and  a  wonderfully  retentive  memory, — all  con- 
tribute to  make  him  at  once  a  leader,  and  a  type  of  the  progressive 
business  man  of  the  age. 

316 


RIGHT  REV.  A.  N.  LITTLEJOHN,  D.D., 

BISHOP    OF    THE    DIOCESE    OF    LOPfG   ISLA-WO. 


;IGHT  REY.  A.  N.  LITTLEJOHN,  D.  D.,  Bishop 
of  the  Diocese  of  Long  Island,  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  New  York,  December  13th,  1824. 
He  was  graduated  at  Union  College  in  1845,  and  was 
ordained  a  Deacon  of  the  Episcopal  Church  March  18th, 
1848.  He  officiated  at  St.  Ann's  Church,  Amsterdam, 
New  York,  and  at  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Meriden,  Connec- 
ticut, for  a  period  of  nearly  two  years,  and  was  ordained  to  the 
priesthood  in  November,  1850,  soon  after  entering  upon  the  rector- 
ship of  Christ  Church,  Springfield,  Massachusetts.  After  a  ministry 
there  of  a  little  more  than  one  year,  he  was  called  to  St.  Paul's 
Church,  New  Haven  ;  and  thence,  after  a  service  of  nine  years,  to 
the  rectorship  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  corner  of  Clinton 
and  Montague  streets,  Brooklyn.  This  is  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  important  parishes  of  that  city.  Through  the  efforts  of  Dr. 
Littlejohn,  a  large  amount  of  money  was  raised  toward  paying  the 
debt  of  the  Church.  The  contributions  during  the  year  1868  were 
nearly  twenty-seven  thousand  dollars.  In  January  of  the  same  year 
over  twenty  thousand  dollars  were  laid  upon  the  altar  at  one  time 
for  the  reduction  of  the  debt 

After  a  highly  popular  ministry  of  about  eight  years  in  this  parish, 
Dr.  Littlejohn  was  elected  Bishop  of  the  newly  created  diocese  of 
Long  Island.  His  consecration  took  place  at  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  January  27th,  1869. 

He  is  recognized  as  most  efficient  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties^ 
and  is  justly  admired  and  beloved  throughout  his  diocese.  The 
Episcopalians  of  Long  Island  Diocese  report  sixty-five  resident 
ministers,  eighty-two  churches,  10,519  conimxrnicants,  and  1,502  Sun- 
day-school teachers  and  7,000  scholars. 

In  1854,  Dr.  Littlejohn  delivered,  in  Philadelphia,  the  first 
of  a  series  of  discourses  by  various  bishops  and  clergymen  on  the 

317 


A.     N.     LITTLEJOHN     D.    D. 

"Evidences  of  Christianity."  Tlie  series  was  siibsequently  pub- 
lished, with  an  able  introduction  by  Bishop  Potter,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Dr.  Littlejohn's  sermon  was  recognized  as  pre-eminently  pow- 
erful in  thouglit  and  logic,  and  obtained  for  him  the  degree  of  D.  D. 
from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1856.  For  several 
years  he  performed  the  duties  of  lecturer  on  "Pastoral  Theol- 
ogy "  at  the  Berkely  Divinity  School,  Middletown,  Conn.  lie  is 
prominently  connected  with  the  management  of  the  Home  Missions  of 
the  Episcopal  Church.  During  his  last  rectorship  he  became  a  director 
of  the  "Society  for  the  Increase  of  the  Ministry,"  a  member  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  of  the  "  Sunday  School  Union  and  Church  Book 
Society,"  and  president  of  the  "  Home  of  the  Aged  and  Orphans  on 
the  Church  Charity  Foundation."  He  was  for  many  yeare  a  contrib- 
utor to  the  "American  Quarterly  Church  Eeview."  Among  the 
articles  most  favorably  known  to  the  public  are  reviews  of  Sir  James 
Stephens'  "Lectures  on  the  History  of  France,"  Cousin's  "History 
of  Modern  Philosophy,"  the  "  Character  and  Writings  of  Coleridge," 
the  "  Poems  of  George  Herbert,"  and  Miss  Beecher's  "  Bible  and 
the  People."     He  has  likewise  published  many  sermons. 

We  make  the  following  eloquent  selection  from  a  sermon  preached 
by  Dr.  Littlejohn,  before  the  Convention  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  of  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut,  June  12th,  1855 : 

"  To  ascertain  whether  the  preaching  of  to-day  be  -what  it  might  and  ought  to 
be,  it  is  not  needful  to  compare  it  with  the  preaching  of  other  periods.  Among  the 
various  forms  through  which  it  passed  before,  and  through  which  it  has  passed  since 
the  Reformation,  it  may  be  better  than  some  and  worse  than  others.  It  may  be 
better  than  the  preaching  of  Origen,  vitiated  by  allegories,  or  that  of  Nazianzen, 
overladen  with  affectations  of  rhetoric.  It  may  be  inferior,  again,  to  the  preaching 
of  St.  Basil  and  St.  Chrysostom,  whose  fervid  grandeur,  impetuous  energy,  and 
scriptural  simplicity  redeemed  the  weakness  of  a  preceding  age,  and  made  Con- 
stantinople and  Antioch  the  classic  grounds  of  Christian  eloquence.  It  may  be 
better  than  the  mediieval  church,  when  with  worship,  doctrine,  discipline,  and 
priesthood,  it  suffered  a  common  petrifaction.  On  the  other  liand,  it  may  be  worse, 
less  bold,  less  trenchant,  less  a  medium  and  a  result  of  God's  word,  than  the  style 
of  those  standard-bearers  of  a  newly  reformed  church,  who  were  summoned  fi'om 
the  silence  of  the  altar  and  the  constraints  of  an  intricate  ritualism,  to  participate 
in  the  excitements  of  free  discussion  and  pulpit  address.  So,  too,  it  may  be  inferior 
in  wealth  of  erudition  and  elaborateness  of  finish  to  the  preaching  of  the  illustrious 
divines  of  the  seventeenth  century,  while  it  is  greatly  in  advance,  in  every  essen- 
tial  regard,  of  that  which  prevailed  in  the  eighteenth,  when,  but  too  generally,  the 
prophets,  evangelists,  and  apostles  gave  way  to  TuUy,  Epictetus,  and  Plato. 

"Let  such  comparisons  result  as  they  may  ;  let  us  stand  where  we  will  in  refer- 
ence to  the  styles  and  methods  of  by-gone  ages  ;  it  is  agreed  on  all  sides  that  the 
preaching  of  to-day  does  not  adequately  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  time.     It  is 

.318 


A.     N.     LITTLEJOHK     D.    D. 

ngreed  that  it  does  not  speak  with  the  authoritj',  unction,  and  power  to  be  expected 
from  so  divine  a  gift  that,  instead  of  rilling,  it  is  ruled  by  the  dominant  tendencies 
of  the  secular  thought ;  that  it  fails,  to  echo  the  virtues  and  inspirations  of  the  word 
of  God  ;  that  it  is  neither  great  as  an  exhibition  of  Christian  intellect,  nor  earnest 
as  an  organ  of  Christian  spirituality ;  that  men  smile  when  it  thunders,  and  sleep  when 
it  persuades  ;  that  it  addresses  more  Felixes  who  yawn  than  Filixes  who  tiemble. 
And  yet  it  is  equally  agreed  by  aU  fair  observers  that  it  is  not  lacking  in  many  of 
the  higher  sources  of  influence— as  sprightliness,  culture,  versatility,  and  occasional 
eloquence.  Nor  is  it  considered  wanting  in  learning,  in  knowledge  of  the  Gospel 
theory,  or  of  human  nature,  nor  in  ready  command  of  the  fruits  and  appliances  of 
intellectual  activity.  Nor,  again,  so  far  as  the  church  pulpit  is  concerned,  can  it  be 
urged  as  a  cause  of  the  present  debUity  and  stagnation,  that  it  has  forsaken  its 
legitimate  topics  for  the  curious  novelties  of  the  hour,  or  has  condescended  to 
humor  the  caprices  of   the  fickle  multitude. 

"  Where,  then,  is  this  defect  ?  Where  is  the  seat  of  the  paralysis  of  so  mighty  a 
gift?  What  is  needed  to  redeem  it  from  this  pious  weakness  and  decent  mediocrity  ? 
How  shall  it  regain  its  lost  dominion  over  the  sources  of  public  sentiment,  and 
inspire  the  world  with  a  due  reverence  for  its  claims  as  one  of  the  instrumentalities 
of  God  for  the  redemption  of  man?  Brethren,  we  who  have  been  ordained  to  this 
holy  function,  there  is  but  one  way  back  to  the  heights  of  power,  and  we  must  each, 
in  our  places,  begin  to  travel  it.  We  must  look  anew  into  our  commission.  With 
purged  sight,  let  us  try  to  see  in  it  the  very  handwriting  of  the  church's  Head,  and 
the  baptism  of  the  Pentecostal  fire  ;  let  us  lay  hold  upon  the  gift  as  it  is  rooted  in 
the  grace  and  sanctum  of  the  living  God  ;  let  us  use  it  as  a  thing  fed  by  the  eternal 
Spirit,  and  as  a  constituted  part  of  a  supernatural  order  ;  let  us  grasp  it  in  its 
spiritual  aspects,  and  on  the  side  lying  next  the  unseen  world.  Spiritual  in  its 
origin,  spiritual  in  its  nature,  spiritual  in  its  object,  preaching,  to  the  great,  must 
be  the  work  of  the  spiritual  mind.  A  profound  spirituality  of  private  experience, 
an  experience  of  the  death  that  is  in  us,  and  the  life  that  is  in  Christ — a  trial  of  the 
griefs  and  joys,  the  pains  and  consolations  springing  from  the  conflict  of  the  death 
of  nature  and  the  life  of  grace  :  it  is  this  that  conditions  and  measures  the  power  of 
preaching.  It  was  this  that  made  Paul,  in  spite  of  slowness  of  speech  and  mean- 
ness of  statui-e,  the  mightiest  of  Christian  orators.  It  was  this  likeness  unto  the 
ministry  of  his  Master,  this  actual  bearing  about  within  his  soul  of  the  blood  and 
the  agony  of  Calvary,  and  the  glory  and  the  triumph  of  the  risen  Jesus  that  silenced 
Athens,  Ephesus,  and  Corinth,  when  presuming  to  compare  him  with  some  inferior 
name." 

Dr.  Littkjohn  is  above  the  medium  height,  with  a  well-formed, 
stately  person.  His  head  is  large,  the  face  is  wide,  and  the  features 
are  molded  into  marked  expressiveness,  though  they  lack  in  regu- 
larity. The  mouth,  for  instance,  is  disproportionately  large,  while 
the  prominent,  curved  under  lip  gives  a  scornful  expression  to  the 
countenance.  His  hair,  which  is  of  a  light  color,  is  worn  combed 
behind  the  ears ;  and  the  broad,  high,  strikingly  intellectual  fore- 
head is  presented  in  uninteiTupted  view.  Here  the  eye  of  the 
observer  lingers  pleasantly,  for  the  characteristics  are  those  of  the 
most  exalted  degree  of  mental  power.     The  severity  and  scornful- 

319 


A.     N.     LITTLEJOHN     D.    D. 

ness  of  the  lower  portion  of  the  face  here  melts  into  the  light  and 
beauty  of  intellectuality,  siaeaking  especially  in  the  full,  clear  eyes. 
With  considerable  reserve  of  manners,  he  bas  so  much  high-toned, 
thoughtful  courtesy,  and  is  such  an  agreeable  conversationalist  that 
intercourse  with  him  is  not  less  unrestrained  than  pleasant.  He  never 
himself  loses  sight  of  his  reverend  character,  nor  will  he  suffer  you 
to  do  so,  but  his  inclination  to  sociableness  is  quite  evident.  His 
deportment,  in  all  respects,  is  that  most  becoming  to  one  holding  a 
religious  and  scholarly  position  like  his  own,  and,  with  his  language, 
is  at  once  an  example  and  an  incentive  to  all  with  whom  he  comes 
in  contact. 

Dr.  Littlejohn  is  one  of  the  ablest  preachers  in  the  Episcopal 
pulpit.  His  sermons  are  thorough  in  the  masterly  exposition  of  the 
theme,  and  equally  able  in  polish  and  effectiveness  of  diction.  There 
is  no  stiltedness  and  no  hesitancy  in  the  argument ;  no  dimness  and 
no  mystification  in  the  expressions ;  all  stand  out  powerful  and 
manifest,  convincing  and  brilliant.  On  subjects  of  learned  research, 
on  points  of  church  doctrine,  and  in  moral  discussions,  he  shows 
equal  ability,  and  reaches  the  convictions  of  his  hearers  by  the  one 
road  of  intelligent,  eloquent  reasoning.  His  style  of  deliveiy  is 
subdued,  and  exceedingly  well  disciplined.  His  words,  rather  than 
himself,  are  impassioned.  Whatever  strength  his  thoughts  may  gain 
from  their  mode  of  delivery,  it  never  arises  from  anything  like 
excitement  in  himself,  but  altogether  from  a  distinct,  firm  voice,  and 
a  manner  which  is  almost  that  of  authority.  His  sentences  rise  into 
the  grander  conception  of  logic,  and  they  grow  touching  with  pious 
seriousness  ;  he  startles  the  minds  and  stirs  the  hearts  of  others  ;  but 
he  remains  calm  and  emotionless  himself  In  fact,  he  belongs  to 
that  school  of  preachers  who  have  an  ever  present  consciousness  of 
the  responsible  position  in  which  their  sacred  calling  has  placed 
them,  and  who  appeal  to  reason,  and  through  it  to  feeling.  They 
stand  in  the  pulpit  clothed  with  all  dignity,  and  their  eloquence  con- 
sists in  the  graces  of  scholarship,  and  not  in  boisterous  declamation. 
Pre-eminent  among  this  learned  and  honored  class.  Dr.  Littlejohn 
has  his  appropriate  place.  Avoiding  every  tendency  to  render  the 
preacher  conspicuous,  he  only  seeks  to  make  the  sermon  a  fitting 
part  of  man's  intelligent  worship  in  the  house  of  the  ever-living 
God. 

320 


-A^i  ,  ATl^i^ir/^l- 


JOHN    McCLOSKEY,    D.  D., 

A-RCHBISHOP      OW      N  Bl-W      YOE.  K- 

Bt  J.  ALEXANDER  PATTEN. 


HE  name  of  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  John  Mc- 

Closkey,  D.  D.,  is  one  revered  and  illustrious  in  the 

annals  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  the  United 

States.      His   entire   life  has  been  marked  by   gentle 


■^  qualities  of  character,  sincere  piety,  and  great  devotion 
to  duty.  Rising  to  his  present  exalted  ecclesiastical  posi- 
tion by  the  force  of  his  talents  and  the  significance  of  his 
virtues,  as  shown  in  every  grade  and  labor  of  the  priestly  office,  he 
has  awakened  the  admiration  of  every  sect  and  class,  not  less  by 
the  consistency  than  the  modesty  of  his  career. 

Most  Rev.  Dr.  John  McCloskey,  Archbishop  of  the  Arch- 
Diocese  of  New  York,  was  born  in  the  City  of  Brooklyn,  March 
20th,  1810,  and  is,  therefore,  sixty-one  years  old.  Being  a  youth 
of  more  than  ordinary  promise,  his  mother,  who  became  a  widow 
when  he  was  only  ten  years  old,  gave  him  a  liberal  education, 
and  he  finally  prepared  for  the  priesthood.  He  concluded  his 
collegiate  course  at  the  institution  of  Mount  St.  Mary's,  Emmets- 
burg,  Md.,  in  1827,  and  pursued  his  first  course  of  theology  at  the 
same  place.  He  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  about  1830.  He 
■was  ordained  Priest  by  Bishop  Dubois,  in  January,  1834,  at  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral,  New  York,  where  he  celebrated  his  first  Mass; 
and  in  the  following  November,  left  for  Rome,  where  he  passed  two 
years  in  the  schools  of  the  Roman  College.  On  his  return  to  New 
York,  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  where  he 
remained  for  seven  years,  with  the  exception  of  nine  months.  Dur- 
ing this  interval,  he  was  President  of  St.  John's  College,  Fordham, 
N.  Y.,  then  just  going  into  operation.  He  was  consecrated  Bishop 
of  Axiere  by  Bishop  Hughes,  March  10th,  1844,  and  became  Coad- 
jutor of  the  officiating  prelate. 

331 


JOHN    McCLOSKET,    D.   V. 

He  had  now  reached,  at  thirty-four,  a  very  prominent  position 
in  the  Church.  His  superior,  and  all  others  associated  with  him 
in  the  religious  work,  were  deeply  impressed  with  his  ability  and 
zeal.  In  1847,  when  the  Diocese  of  Albany  was  estabhshed,  he  was 
transferred  to  that  one.  He  found  the  diocese,  which  included  all 
of  the  State  of  New  York  lying  north  of  forty-two  degrees  north 
and  east  of  the  eastern  line  of  Cayuga,  Tompkins,  and  Tioga 
counties,  very  feeble,  having  only  forty  churches,  some  of  them 
without  clergymen.  The  CathoHc  population  was  scattered  over  a 
large  territory,  and  was,  for  the  most  part,  poor,  and  had  to  strug- 
gle against  the  prejudice  of  the  surrounding  people. 

Bishop  McCloskey  lost  no  time  in  pressing  forward  in  the  great 
task  now  before  him.  He  made  St.  Mary's,  one  of  the  few  Cath- 
olic churches  of  Albany,  his  Cathedral;  but  in  July,  1848,  laid  the 
corner-stone  for  a  new  edifice.  The  large  and  fine  structure,  now 
known  as  the  Cathedral  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  was  com- 
pleted in  the  fall  of  1853,  at  a  cost,  with  the  Episcopal  residence, 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  year  1851  was 
marked  by  the  opening  of  the  Academy  of  St.  Joseph,  in  Troy, 
under  the  care  of  the  Christian  Brothers,  and  the  establi.^hment  of 
a  hospital  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  which  has,  in  a  single  year, 
received  seven  hundred  and  eighty-nine  patients.  In  1852,  a  Fe- 
male Seminary  was  founded  in  Albany,  by  a  colony  of  Sisters  of 
the  Sacred  Heart;  and  in  1855  an  Academy  for  boys  was  opened 
at  Utica  at  a  cost  of  more  than  seventeen  thousand  dollars. 

His  term  of  service  in  the  Diocese  of  Albany  extended  over  a 
period  of  seventeen  years,  and  during  the  whole  time  his  labors 
were  characterized  by  unceasing  earnestness,  and  everywhere  crowned 
with  more  than  the  usual  success.  He  left  in  the  Diocese  one  hun- 
dred and  thirteen  churches,  eight  chapels,  fifty-four  minor  stations, 
eighty-five  missionaries,  three  academies  for  boys,  and  one  for  girls, 
six  orphan  asylums,  and  fifteen  parochial  schools. 

Bishop  McCloskey  was  held  very  dearly  by  the  late  Archbishop 
Hughes;  and  from  certain  acts  immediately  before  his  death,  and 
the  testamentary  papers  which  he  left  behind  him,  the  inference 
was  that  he  desired  to  be  succeeded  by  his  former  Coadjutor.  At 
all  events,  he  was  most  favorably  indicated  for  the  position  by  the 
votes  of  his  Episcopal  brethren,  and  became  the  selection  of  the 
Pope.  Before  his  departure  from  Albany,  he  was  entertained  by 
his  clergy,  when  an  address  was  presented  to  him,  with  gifts,  pro- 

322 


JOHN    McCLOSKEY,    D.    D. 

cured  at  an  expense  of  four  thousand  dollars,  consisting  of  his  por- 
trait, and  an  Archepiscopal  cross  and  ring.     Says  the  address : 

"  It  is.  Right  Reverend  Father,  in  the  recollection  of  nearly  all 
of  us,  that  when  you  took  possession  of  this  See  there  were  but  few- 
churches,  and  fewer  priests.  How  great  the  change  !  Ever  since 
you  have  been  all  to  us — our  Bishop,  our  father,  our  counselor,  our 
best  friend !  Your  noble  Cathedral,  with  its  surrounding  religious 
and  literary  institutions;  the  grand  and  beautiful  churches  erected 
under  your  patronage,  and  with  your  assistance;  the  religious  com- 
munities introduced  and  fostered  by  your  care,  and  all  now  flour- 
ishing with  academies  and  schools;  your  clergy,  numbering  nearly 
one  hundred,  and,  by  their  union  and  zeal,  reflecting  some  of  your 
own  spirit, — all  tell  of  your  Apostolic  work  here,  and  how  difficult 
it  is  for  us  to  say — forewell." 

The  Governor  of  the  State  and  a  number  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  Albany  invited  the  Bishop  to  a  public  dinner,  which,  however, 
his  engagements  would  not  allow  him  to  accept.  Says  the  letter 
of  invitation  : 

"  Permit  us  to  say  that  your  residence  of  seventeen  years  with 
us  has  taught  us  to  appreciate  a  character  elevated  by  noble  senti- 
ments, and  inspired  by  Cliristian  charity.  It  is  for  others  to  bear 
witness  to  the  results  of  your  Episcopal  labors,  the  reflected  light 
of  which  we  see  in  the  elevated  condition  of  your  people.  It  is  for 
us  to  recognize  the  successful  mission  of  one  who  has  united  in  his 
person  the  character  of  a  learned  prelate  and  a  Christian  gentle- 
man, and  whose  influence  in  society  has  been  exerted  to  soothe  and 
tranquilize,  to  elevate  and  instruct." 

No  higher  or  more  beautiful  tributes  were  ever  paid  to  any 
individual  in  a  like  position.  Touching  and  beautiful  as  were  the 
sentiments  conveyed,  they  were  the  expression  of  all  classes  of  every 
faith  in  the  diocese. 

The  installation  of  Bishop  McCloskey  as  the  Archbishop  of  the 
Archdiocese  of  New  York,  took  place  on  Sunday,  August  2l8t, 
1864,  at  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  his  appointment  bearing  date  of 
May,  1864,  before  a  vast  audience.  There  was  one  of  the  grandest 
Episcopal  and  sacerdotal  processions  ever  seen  in  this  country. 
Bishops  of  the  Church  were  present  from  all  parts  of  the  State,  and 
some  from  abroad.  The  Archbishop  elect,  escorted  by  two  priests, 
walked  under  a  canopy  of  elaborately-worked  satin  and  gold,  and 
borne  by  four  persons.     When  the  Archbishop  came  in  front  of 

323 


JOHN     McCLOSKEY,     D.    D. 

the  altar  he  knelt  devoutly,  and  remained  for  some  time  in  silent 
prayer.  Being  escorted  to  the  throne  in  front  of  the  rostrum,  the 
Bishops  present  ascended  the  steps  one  by  one,  and,  on  presenting 
themselves  to  the  Archbishop,  he  tenderly  embraced  them,  imprint- 
ing the  kiss  of  peace  on  their  left  cheek.  The  priests  followed  in 
like  manner,  one  at  a  time,  and  kneeling  at  the  feet  of  their  supe- 
rior, respectfully  kissed  the  signet-ring  on  his  right  hand.  He 
received  the  crozier,  tiara,  and  other  paraphernalia  of  the  Archie- 
piscopal  office  in  front  of  the  altar.  The  grand  Pontifical  High 
Mass  set  down  for  the  day  was  then  performed,  and  the  Arohbishop 
made  a  most  eloquent  address. 

The  Archdiocese  of  New  York  comprises  the  City  and  County 
of  New  York,  and  the  counties  south  of  the  forty-second  degree  of 
north  latitude,  except  those  on  Long  Island.  The  Roman  Catholic 
Province  of  New  York  embraces  the  Dioceses  of  New  York,  Albany, 
Boston,  Brooklyn,  Buffalo,  Rochester,  Burlington,  Hartford,  Spring- 
field, Newark,  and  Portland,  and  includes  the  States  of  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  and  all  New  England. 

Archbishop  McCloskey  has  now  been  in  the  Archdiocese  seven 
years.  Great  success  had  previously  followed  the  efforts  of  his 
gifted  and  energetic  predecessor,  but  quite  as  much  has  resulted 
.from  his  own.  There  has  been  an  increase  of  twelve  churches,  and 
nearly  one  hundred  priests.  The  Catholic  population  of  the  Arch- 
diocese is  between  five  and  six  hundred  thousand,  and  of  this  num- 
ber between  four  and  five  hundred  thousand  are  in  the  City  ot  New 
York.     The  following  are  the  statistics  of  1871: 

Cliurcbes 131 

Chapels 24 

Priests 229 

Theological  Seminary 1 

Colleges 3 

Academies 12 

Select  Schools   16 

In  about  five  years  six  hundred  thousand  dollars  have  been 

expended  on  the  new  Cathedral  building  in  course  of  erection  on 

Fifth  avenue.     One  hundred  thousand  dollars  had  been  previously 

expended,  and   one   hundred   and   fifty  thousand   dollars  in  cash, 

recently  subscribed,  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Archbishop  for  the 

work.    At  least  two  millions  will  be  expended  on  the  whole  edifice. 

It  will  have  ten  or  twelve  chapels  besides  the  main  church,  which 

is  to  accommodate  ten  thousand  i^eople. 

S34 


Asylums 13 

Home  for  Aged  Men 1 

Homes  for  Aged  Women 2 

Hospitals 2 

Religious  Communities  for  Men.. .  8 

Religious  Communities  for  Women  12 

Ecclesiastical  Students 58 


JOHN    McCLOSKEY,    D.    D. 

Archbishop  McCloskey  has  made  four  visits  to  Rome,  the  last 
when  in  attendance  at  the  Ecumenical  Council,  when  he  was  nine 
months  in  that  city.  His  labors  iu  the  Archdiocese  are  necessarily 
very  great;  and  it  is  but  an  act  of  simple  justice  to  say  that  the 
results  thereof  are  proportionately  beneficent.  Exercising  a  most 
commanding  influence  in  his  extended  and  increasing  field  of  effort, 
as  well  on  account  of  his  high  official  position  as  for  his  prominent 
qualities  of  head  and  heart,  he  has  already  accomplished  an  incal- 
culable amount  of  good,  and  gives  promise  of  greater  usefulness  in 
the  future.  The  Church  in  him  finds  a  zealous  and  efficient  leader, 
and  American  citizenship  a  most  noble  and  honored  exponent.  He 
is  one  of  that  class  of  whom  Addison  says  :  "  Those  men  only  are 
truly  great  who  place  their  ambition  rather  in  acquiring  to  them- 
selves the  conscience  of  worthy  enterprises  than  in  the  prospect  of 
glory  which  attends  them.  These  exalted  spirits  would  rather  be 
secretly  the  authors  of  events  which  are  serviceable  to  mankind, 
than,  without  being  such,  to  have  the  public  fame  of  it." 

He  is  above  the  medium  height,  sparely  made,  and  erect.  His 
head  is  of  an  intellectual  cast,  and  liis  countenance,  when  increasing 
years  are  beginning  to  leave  their  unmistakable  lines,  is  strongly 
expressive  of  amiability  and  benevolence.  The  features  are  finely 
moulded  and  uniform.  About  the  mouth  there  is  always  an  expres- 
sion of  the  truest  kindness  and  gentleness,  and  the  eyes  are  soft  and 
sympathetic,  while  full  of  intellectuality.  The  brow  is  broad,  over 
which  the  hair  is  parted,  and  carefully  combed  on  either  side.  Iu 
any  gathering  of  men  he  would  be  selected  as  a  person  distinguished 
for  gifts  of  mind,  and  great  goodness  of  heart.  In  his  manners  he 
is  dignified,  courteous,  and  kindly.  A  simple,  easy  dignity,  natural 
to  the  man,  as  well  as  taught  in  the  prominent  stations  which  he 
has  so  long  occupied,  does  not  prevent  a  gentlemanly  and  friendly 
demeanor  towards  all  who  have  intercourse  with  him.  There  is 
that  calmness,  thoughtfulness,  and  propriety  which  is  becoming  in 
one  holding  a  sacred  office,  but  the  warmth  of  a  genial,  cheerful 
nature  is  as  fully  apparent  in  both  words  and  actions.  Kindred 
natures  are  instantly  drawn  to  him,  and  all  dispositions  must  in 
some  measure  respond  to  the  influence  of  his  fascinations.  He  is  a 
ripe  scholar,  acd  a  bold  and  devoted  churchman.  His  eloquence  is 
of  the  tender,  deeply  religious  kind,  uttered  with  fervent  sincerity, 
and  in  language  at  once  of  simplicity  and  elegance. 

A  man  of  energy,  and  of  sleepless  vigilance  in  the  discharge  of 

325 


JOHN     McCLOSKEY,    D.    D. 

all  duty,  still  he  always  seeks  the  most  unostentatious  manner  of 
performing  it.  He  j^rovokes  no  conflicts,  and  he  offends  no  opinions, 
but,  with  humility  and  prayerfulness,  toils  on  in  the  sphere  of  his 
own  duties.  Hence  the  many  monuments  which  he  has  reared  to 
the  usefulness  and  glory  of  his  Church,  and  hence  the  spotless  and 
honored  name  which  he  has  given  to  the  ecclesiastical  history  of 
his  times. 

326 


EZIU   MILLER. 

By  Cablton  Laket. 


f^^^M^ls  the  west  side  of  tlie  beautiful  Hudson,  in  plain  view 


J> 


V  /Ol  of  Fort  Washington,  New  York,  stands  a  quaint  old 
^:J^  farm-house ;  and  there  Ezi-a  Miller  was  born  on  the 


.(  12th  of  May,  1812.  On  this  then  secluded  spot  his  pa- 
.mifii^  ^  rents  resided  until  he  was  five  years  of  age,  when  they 
AklM  changed  tlieir  residence  to  the  City  of  New  York,  and  three 
v'f^°  years^later  removed  to  Ehinebeck,  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y. 
After^i-esiding  there  three  years,  they  again  changed  their  residence 
by  removing°to  Flushing,  on  Long  Island.  It  was  here  tliat  Ezra 
Miller  grew  to  manhood,  during  which  time  he  received  a  thorough 
English  classical  education,  his  father  being  quite  anxious  to  fit  him 
forAe  study  and  practice  of  medicine.  His  great  love  for  scientific 
studies,  however,  defeated  this  desire  on  the  part  of  his  parent,  as  his 
taste  for  mathematics,  philosophy,  and  mechanics  wholly  engrossed 
his  young  mind,  and  opened  the  way  to  his  becoming  a  successful 
and  efficient  civil,  topographical  and  mechanical  engineer,  a  profession 
which  he  continues  to  follow  to  this  day,  occasionally  retreating  to 
his  farm  for  rest  for  mental,  and  the  employment  of  his  physical 

energies.  ,  v  u  j 

During  his  youth,  and  while  a  resident  at  Flushing,  be  established 
a  character  which  has  continued  with  and  guided  him  in  all  his 
business  affairs  of  life.  He  early  became  an  ardent  admirer  of  truth 
and  justice,  always  espousing  the  cause  of  right  against  whatever 
force  it  combatted.  With  these  characteristics  strongly  imbued 
with  his  verv  nature,  he  also  combined  generosity,  liberality,  and 
fidelity  to  whatever  trusts  were  committed  to  his  care.  On  the  23d 
of  September,  1833,  he  enlisted  in  a  company  of  horse  artillery 
belonging  to  the  2nd  Regiment,  1st  Brigade  N.  Y.  State  Militia. 
After  an  honorable  service  of  nearly  six  years,  dunng  which  time  he 
ailed  various  ofiices  of  his  company,  he  was,  on  the  5th  of  August, 

337 


EZRA     MILLEfi. 


1889,  appointed  Adjutant  of  the  Regiment,  and  July  2nd  of  the 
following  year,  he  was  commissioned  Lieutenant-Colonel,  in  which 
capacity°he  served  until  July  ith,  1842,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
full  colonelcy  and  placed  in  command  of  the  regiment 

In  the  month  of  May,  1841,  he  married  Amanda,  daughter  of 
Captain  Seth  Miller,  and  removed  to  Fort  Hamilton,  when  they  bega: 
housekeeping  on  the  "Post  Place,"  adjoining  the  Fort.  While  resid- 
ing here,  in  the  summer  of  1843,  an  event  transpired  illustrating 
the  liberality  of  Colonel  Miller  and  his  fraternal  sympathv  in  the 
welfare  of  a  friend.  Lieutenant  Duncan,  of  the  regular  ai'my,  then  a 
young  and  rising  officer,  was  in  command  of  Company  A  of  U.  S. 
Artillery,  and  stationed  at  the  Fort.  Notwithstanding  Lieutenant 
Duncan'  enjoyed  the  high  esteem  and  kind  regards  of  his  comrades 
and  officers  of  his  division,  an  officer  at  headquarters  had,  for  some 
imaginary  cause,  conceived  a  dislike  for  the  young  commandant,  and 
sought  to  curtail  his  chances  of  success  in  the  decline  of  his  military 
dicipline,  which  was  to  be  eflected  by  depriving  him  of  the  use  of 
the  accustomed  sum  of  money  for  the  yearly  renting  of  a  field  on 
which  to  drill  his  company. 

In  vain  did  the  young  commandant  appeal  to  the  powers  at 
Washington  for  assistance;  it  availed  nothing  when  the  military  arm 
of  superioritv  assumed  a  despotic  character,  involving  the  disgrace  of 
a  junior  officer,  even  at  the  decline  of  the  efficiency  of  a  most  impor- 
unt  arm  of  military  service.  The  Lieutenant  was  discouraged ;  he 
could  see  nothing  but  disgrace  and  probable  iailure  as  the  result  of 
the  coming  review  ;  and  one  day,  being  in  company  with  Colonel 
Miller,  he  gave  him  an  insight  of  the  situation.  Now,  the -Colonel  had 
a  meadow  which  he  had  rented  for  the  grass  crop,  and  it  being  then 
about  a  foot  high,  promised  a  fine  yield  of  hay  ;  but  as  he  listened 
to  the  Lieutenant's  story  his  benevolence  predominated,  and  he  told 
Duncan  to  take  that  field  and  use  it  as  his  own,  grass  or  no  grass. 
The  Lieutenant  immediately  avaUed  himself  of  the  generous  propo- 
sal, and  when  the  review  came  off  on  the  14th  of  November  the  pro- 
ficiency of  drill,  and  skill  in  manoeuvre  which  this  aftemards  noted 
company  had  acquired,  astonished  all,  and  a  former  officer  of  the 
army  of  the  first  Napoleon,  who  was  present  and  witnessed  the  drill, 
pronounced  it  admirable,  affording  evidence  of  the  very  best  tactical 

training.  ,       „       -rv  >    i    i 

In  the  Mexican  war,  which  followed  shortly  after,  Duncan  s  bat- 
tery took  a  very  important  part,  and  gave  ample  evidence  of  the 

3*8 


EZKA      MILLER. 

gi-eat  value  of  its  perfect  drill.  It  saved  the  army  at  Palo  Alto,  and 
Eesaca  de  la  Palma,  and  throughout  the  campaigns  of  Taylor 
and  Scott  did  the  most  effective  service,  receiving  the  highest  en- 
comiums from  the  War  Dejiartment,  which  its  brave  commander  ever 
afterward  attributed  to  the  generosity  and  beneficence  of  Colonel  Miller. 

In  the  month  of  April,  1848,  Colonel  Miller  removed  with  his 
family  to  Rock  County,  in  the  then  new  State  of  Wisconsin,  which 
had  but  just  been  admitted  into  the  Union.  There  he  was  engaged 
in  surveying  the  State  lands,  with  his  residence  at  the  new  town  of 
Magnolia. 

At  the  time  of  Colonel  Miller's  introduction  to  Western  scenes 
and  Western  manners,  he  found  very  much  that  was  not  in  accord- 
ance with  his  own  views  and  ideas.  As  was  the  habit  of  some  West- 
ern Justices  of  the  Peace,  lie  found  one  at  Magnolia  who  managed  to 
hold  court  nearly  every  day,  being  less  a  peace-maker  than  a  creator 
of  dissention  and  discord.  To  this  way  of  dispensing  justice  he  ob- 
jected, and  at  the  first  annual  caucus  advised  that  a  justice  should 
be  elected  who  would  promote  peace  instead  of  war.  In  answer 
thereto  the  citizens  put  him  in  nomination  and  elected  him  almost 
unanimously.  He  served  two  terms,  and  by  his  unfailing  good  hu- 
mor and  practical  admonitions,  he  effected  a  settlement  in  each  and 
every  case  brought  before  him,  not  allowing  a  single  one  to  go  to 
trial.  It  was  during  his  first  term  of  office  that  a  good  humored 
constable  brought  a  prisoner  before  him  on  a  warrant  for  assault, 
issued  by  the  Justice  of  an  adjoining  town.  The  C'llonel  was  seated 
on  a  saw-log  in  a  grove  near  his  house,  where  he  listened  to  the  con- 
stable's testimony  against  the  prisoner,  who  was  a  peaceful  man  when 
not  under  the  influence  of  liquor.  On  hearing  of  the  case  he  found 
it  to  be  only  a  petty  scuffle,  the  result  of  a  too  free  use  of  "  tangle- 
foot "  at  a  chopping  bee,  and  after  administering  a  little  gjod  advice 
to  the  prisoner,  at  the  same  time  receiving  his  promise  to  do  better 
in  the  future,  he  dismissed  the  case,  directing  that  the  costs  be  paid 
by  the  constable,  to  which  that  functionary  readily  responded  by 
pulling  a  flask  from  his  pocket  and  treating  the  court 

His  military  reputation  followed  him  to  the  West,  and  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1851,  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Dewey  to  the  colonelcy 
of  the  8th  Regiment  State  Militia— a  position  which  he  filled  during 
his  residence  in  Wisconsin.  The  following  year  (1852)  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  State  Senate  from  the  17th  District,  comprising  the 
County  of  Rock,  then  the   most  wealthy   and  populous,   excepting 


EZRA     MILLER. 

Milwaukee,  in  the  State.  As  a  Senator,  he  sei-ved  the  State  and  his 
constituency  with  honor  and  fidelity,  and  was  appointed  by  the  Gov- 
ernor one  of  the  Managers  of  the  State  Institution  for  the  Blind. 
He  served  as  Senator  one  term,  during  which  he  gave  ample  attesta- 
tion of  his  honesty,  integrity,  and  fidelity  in  the  discharge  of  duties 
arising  fi-om  a  just  representation  of  his  district  He  refused  a 
re-nomination,  though  freely  offered  him  ;  also,  a  remuneration  for 
extra  sei-vices  rendered  in  behalf  of  certain  local  improvements.  It 
was  dui-ing  this  term  that  the  celebrated  trial  of  Judge  Hubbel  oc- 
curred, in  which  Colonel  Miller  took  an  important  part,  and  for  this 
and  other  duties  an  extra  mileage  was  voted  by  both  Houses,  which 
he  opposed,  and  was  the  only  one  who  did  not  draw  pay  for  the  same, 
the  amount  still  standing  to  his  credit  on  the  books  of  the  State 
Treasurer. 

When  Colonel  Miller  took  up  his  abode  in  the  West,  he  looked 
upon  the  vast  area  of  uncultivated  land,  saw  the  rich  alluvial  soil 
awaiting  the  plow,  considered  its  gi-eat  resources,  and  the  necessity 
of  an  outlet  for  the  wealth  that  would  there  be  developed  by  the  com- 
ing thousands  who  were  to  populate  and  fill  up  its  towns  and  villages. 
He  realized  the  situation  of  frozen  lakes  and  obstructed  navigation, 
and  that  the  great  essential  for  rapid  development  and  successful 
trade  was  a  thorough  system  of  railroads,  reaching  to  every  part  of 
the  country,  drawing  from  its  vast  resources  and  connecting  with  the 
East.  He  had  been  present  at  the  birth  of  the  railroad  system  of 
this  country.  He  had  traveled  in  the  first  trains,  when  stage-coach 
bodies  were  placed  upon  trucks  and  run  upon  strap  rails;  when,  in 
case  of  rain,  the  loco'.notive  was  housed,  and  horses  substituted ; 
when  the  construction  of  tracks,  locomotives,  and  cars,  was  in  its 
most  crude  state.  His  acquaintance  with  these  matters  enabled  him 
to  perceive  that  improvements  were  necessary  in  order  to  facilitate 
transportation,  making  it  reliable  and  expeditious  between  the  sea- 
board and  far  West;  and  he  was  not  long  in  finding  errors  that 
needed  correcting,  as  will  be  seen. 

The  height  of  the  first  cars  was  two  feet  ten  inches  above  the 
track,  and  the  couplei-s  were  placed  on  a  line  with  the  sills,  the 
buffers  being  on  the  same  line,  though  separately  constructed.  Sub- 
sequent improvements,  however,  raised  the  coach  and  car  bodies, 
rendering  it  advisable  to  combine  both  buffer  and  coupler  in  one, 
and  place  them  beneath  the  platform  and  below  the  line  of  the  sills — 
which  is  the  line  of  resistance  to  any  longitudinal  blow — in  order  to 

3.!0 


EZRA     MILLER. 


admit  of  their  coupling  to  tlie  older  cars.     This  depression  of  the  line 
of  resistance  between  the  cars  was  the  greatest  error  of  the  American 
system  of  making  up  trains,  and  led  to  that  most  fatal  of  all  forms 
of    railway   accidents,    telescoping— known    only   in    this   country. 
About  the  year  1853,  while  Col.  Miller  was  engaged  in  the  sin-vey  of 
portions  of  the  Northwestern  Eailway,  there  were  a  number  of  acci- 
dents upon  the  great  passenger  lines,  both   in  the  East  and  at  the 
"West,  in  which  cars  were  telescoped  with  the  most  fatal  results ;   and 
they  awakened  him  to  the  investigation  of  errors,  as  before  shown, 
and  the  necessity  of  providing  a  sure  preventive  of  such  occurrences. 
He  discovered  that  the  oscillation  of  cars,  acting  nidependently  of 
each  other  as  coupled  by  slack  links  or  chains,  was  one  of  the  most 
fruitful  causes  of  dei-ailment,  and  that  it  could  only  be  prevented 
by  tension,   or   holding   the   cars   firmly  together;    and    the   result 
of  his  labors,  after  many  years  of  study  and  experiment,  was  what 
is  now  known  as  the  Miller  Platform,  a  device  which   has  been 
adopted  on  over  three  hundred  railroads  of  this  country,  and  is  con- 
ceded by  all  who  understand  the  American  Eailway  System,  to  be 
the  greatest  life-saving  invention  ever  placed  upon  the  rail— saving 
more  than  two  thousand  lives  per  year.     He  took  out  his  first  patent 
in  1864,  and  struggled  hard  for  over  two  years  in  behalf  of  his  im- 
provements before  he  could  induce  railroad  companies  to  adopt  them ; 
but  when  their  great  value  was  practically  established,  the  question 
was  decided  at  once,  and  railway  managers  hastened  to  equip  their 
cars  with  that  which  was  especially  adapted  to  the  saving  of  life  and 

propertv. 

The  result  of  Col.  Miller's  labors  in  behalf  of  safety  in  railway 
travel  ha^  been  to  greatly  diminish  the  number  of  fatal  accidents,  to 
put  an  end  to  telescoping  on  all  the  roads  that  use  his  platforms,  and 
to  infuse  a  feeling  of  greater  safety  and  comfort  into  the  passenger, 
the  employe,  the  manager,  and  the  stockholder.  He  has  in  his  pos- 
session a  large  collection  of  letters  from  presidents,  managers,  super- 
intendents, master  car-builders,  conductors,  and  engineers,  all  of 
which  bear  ample  testimony  to  the  great  value  of  these  inventions. 
We  might  illustrate  further  their  value  by  quoting  from  reports  of 
accidents,  showing  cases  wherein,  had  it  not  been  that  the  cars  were- 
equipped,  the  most  fatal  results  would  have  necessarily  followed. 
Another  great  benefit  to  be  derived  from  these  platforms,  couplers, 
and  buffers,  is  that  they  are  creating  a  national  system  of  making  up 
passenger  trains— something  that  has  long  been  needed  on  American 


331 


EZRA     MILLER. 

roads,  and  which,  in  the  end,  will  entirely  do  away  with  the  disa- 
greeable necessity  of  changing  cars  owing  to  dilference  i«  gauge  of 
track  or  peculiar  style  of  coaches,  and  by  establishing  a  uniformity 
that  will  reach  over  the  entire  Western  hemisphere,  bringing  all 
roads  into  direct  arid  practical  connection. 

Colonel  Miller  has  invented  several  other  valuable  improve- 
ments for  various  purposes ;  and,  as  he  passes  the  summit-level  of 
life  and  enters  upon  the  down  grade,  beyond  the  sixtieth  mile-post, 
enjoys  the  comforting  assurance  that  life  is  of  greater  value,  and  the 
world  is  the  better  for  his  having  lived.  He  obtained  Letters-patent 
for  his  Platform  in  Russia,  and  has  licensed  that  Government  to  use 
them,  and  now  it  is  a  prominent  feature  of  the  National  Standard 
System  of  Russian  Railways. 

The  Colonel  now  resides  in  a  beautiful  brown  stone  front,  on  Brook- 
lyn Heights,  surrounded  by  a  large  and  pleasant  family,  where  he 
reaps — during  his  leisure  hours — the  quiet  enjoyment  which  a  well- 
earned  success  is  ever  sure  to  bring. 


^T^i^C^^^^t^ 


NATHAN   D.  MORGAN, 


Bt  l.  a.  hendeick. 


JNGLENESS  of  aim,  earnestness  of  purpose,  and 
V  ^/Jll  steadfast  determination  to  accomplish  the  end  sought, 
.i^!(^*T  ^^ve  always  been  the  leading  characteristics  of  those 
achieving  enterprises  of  comprehension  and  enduring 
^i  utility.  It  is  so  in  every  field  of  endeavor,  and  may  be 
set  down,  in  fact,  as  one  of  Nature's  great  and  inexorable 
laws.  In  few  men  in  this  country  is  this  truth  more 
strikingly  exemplified  than  in  Mr.  Nathan  D.  Morgan,  President 
of  the  North  America  Life  Insurance  Company.  The  subject  of 
life  insurance  has  been  the  great  study  of  his  life.  Upon  it  he  has 
concentrated  all  the  powers  of  his  acute  and  vigorous  mind.  No 
phase  of  it  has  escaped  his  attention.  His  inquiries  have  reached 
the  farthest  limit  of  its  multifarious  and  subtle  ramifications,  and 
have  sounded  its  deepest  depths.  Seeing  the  great  practical  bene- 
fits to  humanity  deducible  from  a  correct  theory  of  life  insurance, 
and  its  proper  application,  he  was  not  satisfied  with  other  than  the 
most  sedulous  investigation  into  the  subject,  and  he  continued  these 
investigations  to  the  present  great  final  and  victorious  issue — the 
construction  of  a  system  the  most  complete  and  perfect  that  is 
human,  and  probably  as  near  perfection  as  any  that  can  ever  be 
devised. 

Nathan  D.  Morgan  was  bom  in  Colchester,  Connecticut,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1818.  He  belongs  to  what  is  known  as  the  old  New  London 
county  stock  of  Morgans,  from  which  ex-Governor  Morgan,  his 
cousin,  is  descended,  as  also  Rev.  William  Morgan,  Rector  of  St. 
Thomas'  Church  in  New  York  City.  The  father  of  the  subject  of 
our  sketch  was  a  farmer  and  merchant  and  for  many  years  engaged 

833 


NATHAN    D.    MORGAN. 

in  trade  with  the  whaling  ports  of  Nantucket  and  New  Bedford. 
Young  Nathan  entered  Bacon  Academy  in  Colchester,  at  that  time 
enjoying  throughout  the  country  a  high  reputation  for  its  efficient 
and  superior  educational  advantages.     He  was  a  quiet,  apt  pupil, 
and  diligent  student,  but  impatient  for  active  life.     Without  wait- 
ing to  complete  his  academical  studies,  he,  at  the  early  age  of 
thirteen,  made  a  bold  plunge  out  into  the  great  world  in  quest  of 
independence,  and  his  own  fortunes.     He  came  to  Brooklyn,  pro- 
cured a  situation  as  clerk  in  a  store,  and  shortly,  and  while  yet  a 
mere  lad,  actuated  by  the  same  stirring  impulses  of  independence, 
became  the  joint  proprietor  with  his  first  master  in  the  store,  and 
carried  on  the  business  with  such  success  that  the  way  to  a  speedy 
fortune  seemed  opening  before  him.    Indeed,  there  is  no  doubt  that 
if  he  had  adhered  to  mercantile  pursuits,  and  had  not  the  deeper 
depths  of  his  nature  became  stirred  by  an  intenser  and  moie  absorb- 
ing and  unyielding  passion,  his  name  to-day  would  have  been  fore- 
most in  the  list  of  our  most  successful  merchants.    Nature  assigned 
him  for  another  and  higher  mission — a  mission  better  fitted  to  give 
broadest  development  to  the  latent  energies  of  his  nature — a  mis- 
sion whose  fruits  were  destined  to  be  crowned,  as  they  will  be  before 
reaching  their  fullest  fruition,  with  incalculable  benefit  to  humanity. 
A  youth  only  seventeen  years  of  age,  the  attention  of  young 
Morgan  was  called  to  life  insurance.     He  at  once  became  deeply 
interested  in  it.     The  subject  was  then  in  its  infancy,  and  but  little 
understood.    His  whole  being  and  soul  became  absorbed  in  it.    He 
saw  in  it  the  foundation  of  great  and  successful  development.    His 
mind,  greatly  matured  beyond  his  years,  at  once  grasped  the  subject 
in  its  broadest  and  most  comprehensive  details.     All  the  zeal  and 
enthusiasm  of  his  nature  aroused,  he  bent  his  energies  unremittingly 
and  perseveringly  in  this  direction.     He  gave  to  the  task  of  inves- 
tigating the  subject  a  mind  quick,  penetrating,  keenly  analytical, 
and  yet  cool  and  dispassionate  in  its  researches.     He  believed  that 
underlying  it  was  immense  practical  good,  and  he  set  to  work  to 
evoke  this  good,  and  make  it  practical.     Newton  labored  no  more 
zealously  to  solve  the  numerous  mysteries  of  the  laws  of  gravitation, 
Fulton  worked  no  harder  to  perfect  a  steamboat.  Watts  and  Ste- 
venson studied  no  more  diligently  the  subject  of  the  steam-engine, 
and  no  more  of  patient  thought  and  research  did  Morse  give  to  the 
subject  of  telegraphing  than  did  Mr.  Morgan  to  that  of  life  insur- 
ance.   The  field  of  exploration  was  comparatively  a  new  one.     The 

334 


NATHAN    D,    MORGAN. 

theories  upon  the  subject  were  crude.  The  road  was  anything  but 
royal,  and  instruction  could  not  be  had.  Books  were  not  within  easy 
reach.  Instruction  could  only  be  obtained  from  abroad.  The  publi- 
cations of  the  "  Society  for  the  Diffusion  of  Useful  Knowledge,"  the 
Penny  Blagazine,  and  other  excellent  works  of  that  society,  afforded 
him  some  aid,  but  this  was  not  enough;  and  still  yet  a  boy,  he  or- 
dered from  London  all  the  books  of  which  he  could  learn,  containing 
treatises  on  the  subject.  This  g'.ve  him  additional  assistance,  but 
they  wei-e  mainly  only  cumulative  theories  on  the  subject.  The 
bottom  had  not  begun  to  be  reached.  It  was  chaotic;  no  order,  no 
system,  no  broad  and  dee])  basis  upon  which  to  rear  a  stable  struc- 
ture. 

Mr.  Morgan's  labors  in  connection  with  life  insurance,  though 
they  form  the  bulk  and  burden  of  his  great  life-work,  thus  far  are  ca- 
pable of  being  briefly  told.  They  can  be  condensed,  in  fact,  into  that 
grandly  sublime  epitome  of  Caesar's, — "Veiii,  vidi,  vici."  He  tho- 
roughly examined  the  subject,  he  saw  what  was  required  to  be  done, 
and  he  did  it.  Mr.  Morgan  gave  his  first  labors  to  the  Mutual  Life 
Insurance  Company  of  New  York,  being  the  fii-st  mutual  life  in- 
surance company  organized  in  that  city.  He  began  his  labors,  in 
fact,  before  the  company  went  into  operation,  and  in  its  eventual 
success  took  great  interest.  Following  close  upon  the  success  of 
this  company,  were  other  enterprises  of  similar  character,  including 
the  Connecticut  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company.  This  company 
was  organized  in  1846,  and  on  its  organization  Mr.  Morgan  was 
consulted  by  Hon.  E.  A.  Bulkoley,  present  President  of  the  .(Etna 
Life  Insurance  Company,  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  as  to  the  best 
mode  of  conducting  it.  He  was  also  its  first  agent  in  the  City  of 
New  York,  and  secured  for  it  in  advance  a  large  number  of  appli- 
cations for  insurance,  thus  giving  a  great  impetus  towards  the  suc- 
cess it  has  since  achieved.  In  1850  Mr.  Morgan  became  the  Actuary 
of  the  Manhattan  Life  Insurance  Company  of  New  York.  He  filled 
this  position  two  years,  when  on  the  retirement  of  its  first  president, 
he  was  elected  to  fill  his  place,  a  position  he  continued  to  hold  till 
1861,  when  he  resigned,  leaving  the  company  in  a  very  prosperous 
condition.  As  President  of  the  North  America  Life  Insui-ance 
Company,  Mr.  Morgan  is  most  widely  known.  This  company  went 
into  operation  in  1862,  with  Mr.  Morgan  as  its  President.  His  idea 
of  life  insurance  has  always  been  the  securing,  in  its  greatest  integ- 
rity, mutuality,  either  by  a  purely  mutual  system,  or,  if  coupled 

335 


NATHAN    D.    MORGAN. 

with  a  proprietary  capital,  by  a  liigher  degree  of  equity  towards 
the  insured  than  has  heretofore  been  obtained.  With  these  views 
he  prepared  the  prospectus  and  charter  of  the  North  America  Life 
Insurance  Company.  The  laws  of  New  York  did  not  permit  the 
formation  of  purely  mutual  life  insurance  companies,  but  required 
tl.at  a  capital  at  least  of  $100,000  should  be  actually  paid  in,  and 
securities  to  that  amount  deposited  with  the  Insurance  Department 
at  Albany.  To  make  the  North  America  a  mutual  company,  Mr. 
Morgan  therefore  incorporated  in  its  charter  a  provision  that  so  soon 
as  it  should  possess  sound  securities  to  the  amount  of  $500,000  its 
capital  stock,  by  permission  of  the  Legislature,  should  be  returned, 
and  the  company  thereupon  become  purely  mutual.  Such  legisla- 
tive permission  was  obtained,  and  Mr.  Morgan's  aim  attained.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  say  that  this  company  is  now  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  prosperous  institutions  of  the  kind  in  this  or  any  other 
country,  and  that  its  success  is  mainly  to  be  attributed  to  the  car- 
rying out  of  his  views,  and  his  energetic  personal  supervision. 

Mr.  Morgan  was  also  largely  instrumental  in  organizing  the 
Chamber  of  Life  Insurance  of  the  United  States,  of  which  he  has 
always  been  an  earnest  advocate,  believing  in  its  great  importance, 
and  sanguine  in  its  ultimate  success.  He  was  elected  the  first  Vice- 
President,  and  on  most  occasions  presided  over  its  sessions.  On 
retiring  lately  from  this  office,  he  received  the  unanimous  thanks  of 
the  Chamber,  for  the  able  and  courteous  manner  in  which  he  had 
presided  in  its  deliberations.  But  of  all  his  labors  for  the  well- 
being  of  life  insurance,  Mr.  Morgan  is  entitled  to  the  distinction  of 
inventing  and  putting  into  successful  operation  the  Registry  sys- 
tem, at  first  confined  by  law  to  the  company  of  which  he  was  Pres- 
ident, but  now  available  by  all,  and  adopted  by  many  other  com- 
panies. This  is  analagous  to  the  National  Bank  system,  and  consists 
in  a  deposit  of  public  securities  as  a  guarantee  of  fidelity  in  the  pay- 
ment of  policies. 

There  are  now  forty-three  life  insurance  companies  in  New 
York  City  alone.  They  abound  in  every  city  in  the  land.  Tens  of 
thousands  of  families  are  annually  benefited  by  them,  and  all  will 
admit  that  they  have  proved  a  great  and  incalculable  blessing,  and 
are  increasing  in  usefulness  daily  throughout  the  land. 

For  such  blessings  and  such  usefulness,  so  generally  recognized, 
we  may  claim,  with  becoming  modesty,  that  the  public  is  indebted 
in  a  measure  beyond  appreciation  at  this  time  to  the  exertions  of 

•330 


NATHAN  D.  MORGAN. 

Nathan  D.  Morgan.     He  started  foremost  as  the  great  American 
pioneer.     He  stands  foremost  to-day. 

Mr.  Morgan  is  an  old  resident  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  and  has 
for  many  years  been  identified  with  many  of  its  loved  institutions. 
He  is  the  Vice-President  of  the  Brooklyn  Eye  and  Ear  Hospital, 
a  vestryman  of  St.  Paul's  church,  whose  new  church  edifice  is  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  costly  in  the  diocese  of  Long  Island.  He 
was  an  active  delegate  to  the  Primary  Convention  on  the  organiza- 
tion of  that  diocese.  He  is  also  one  of  the  managers  of  the  Church 
Charity  Foundation,  an  institution  for  the  care  of  the  indigent,  aged, 
and  orphans  of  the  diocese. 

Mr.  Morgan  married  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  James  Watson 
Webb,  and  has  six  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  In  his 
home  he  shows  the  elegancies  of  a  refined  and  cultivated  taste.  He 
is  not  only  a  great  connoisseur  in  the  arts,  but  the  walls  of  his  res- 
idence are  adorned  with  some  of  the  finest  paintings  by  the  first 
artists.  There  are  few  more  genial  men  to  be  met  in  society,  and 
fewer  still  of  more  afi'able  manners  amid  the  surroundings  of  business. 
His  administrative  and  executive  ability  is  of  a  high  order.  He  is 
emphatically  a  hard  worker.  He  is  above  the  medium  height,  and 
of  prepossessing  appearance,  and  in  the  full  vigor  of  his  prime,  with 
abundant  promise  of  a  long  career  of  usefulness  still  before  him  in 
the  high  and  responsible  position  he  so  honorably  and  ably  fills. 

337 


^y-rf-f^ 


OLIVER    H.   PALMER. 


t^^  N  the  large  and  intelligent  concourse  of  representative 
te^  men  from  New  York  City,  and  from  all  parts  of  the 
%^^  land,  recently  gathered  at  Central  Park  to  honor  the 
7  Inventor  of  the  Telegraph,  and  imveil  his  statue,  the 
M  leading  telegraph  men  of  the  country  were  of  course 
conspicuous.  To  them  is  due  the  marvelous  development 
^^^_  of  the  great  work  which  Morse  began,  and  to  their  energy, 
faith,  prudence,  and  zeal  we  owe  the  enormous  progress  of  this 
great  invention— the  strongest  ally  civilization  knows,  and  the  dis- 
tinguishing characteristic  of  our  century.  General  Palmer  has  the 
good  fortune  to  be  one  of  the  men  who  have  done  so  much  to  unile 
the  thoughts,  the  interests,  and  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen  and 
of  mankind.  He  has  long  been  the  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the 
Western  Union  Telegraph  Company— the  greatest  telegraph  organ- 
ization in  the  world— and  as  such,  his  name  is  familiar  to  all.  He 
has  won  his  way  to  his  high  position  through  widely  different 
spheres  of  action,  but  has  displayed  in  each  the  energy,  self-reliance, 
ability,  and  integrity  which  have  made  his  whole  career  a  success. 

General  Palmer's  native  place  is  the  town  of  Walworth,  Wayne 
county.  New  York,  about  twelve  miles  east  of  the  city  of  Roches- 
ter. Nathan  Palmer,  his  father,  was  a  native  of  Granville,  Wash- 
ington county.  New  York.  His  mother  was  born  in  Vermont. 
His  parents  moved,  or  it  might  more  properly  be  said  emigrated, 
to  Wayne  county,  in  1806.  This  section  of  the  Empire  State, 
now  filled  with  thriving  cities,  rapidly-growing  villages,  and  abound- 
ing in  richly-cultivated  farms,  was  then  an  unbroken  wilderness,  with 
the  Indians  its  only  human  inhabitants.  The  subject  of  our  sketch 
\ras  born  in  a  log-house.     His  father  owned  a  tract  of  six  hundred 


OLIVER    H.    PALMER. 

acres,  and,  like  the  sons  of  all  the  previous  settlers,  young  Oliver 
early  became  inured  to  the  hardest  work  while  aiding  to  clear  up  this 
land.  Until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  he  enjoyed  only  very  slight 
common  school  advantages.  He  eagerly  seized,  however,  any  oppor- 
tunity within  his  reach  for  intellectual  improvement,  read  with 
avidity  all  the  books  he  could  get  hold  of,  and  by  the  light  of  the 
blazing  log-fire  often  protracted  his  studies  late  into  the  night.  He 
was  soon  able  to  teach  school,  and  from  the  time  he  was  sixteen 
imtil  the  age  of  twenty-one,  worked  on  the  farm  summers,  and 
taught  school  winters.  It  was  a  laborious  life ;  but  it  brought  with 
it  disciplining  strength  and  vigor,  and  habits  of  self-reliance,  that 
uo  curriculum  of  any  college  could  possibly  have  imparted. 

Though  having  very  fair  attainm-^'nts  as  an  English  scholar, 
he  was  earnestly  desirous  of  acquiring  a  better  education.  His 
ambition  grasped  at  something  higher  than  farm  labor.  Having 
faithfully  served  out  his  time  at  home,  he  spent  the  first  two 
years  of  his  majority  at  the  G-enesee  Wesleyan  Seminary,  at 
Lima,  New  York,  paying,  through  his  earnings  at  farm-work  and 
teaching,  most  of  the  expenses.  He  fitted  himself  to  enter  the 
sophomore  class  at  Union  College,  but  unfortunately  was  com- 
pelled to  abandon  the  projected  scheme  of  a  collegiate  education — 
duty  to  his  father  compelling  him  to  assist  him  on  the  farm. 
"While  thus  employed  he  did  not  relinquish,  however,  his  studies, 
or  other  opportunities  of  self-improvement.  As  one  means  of  im- 
provement he  used  to  participate  in  debates  in  his  town.  The  sub- 
ject under  discussion  one  evening  was  that  of  slavery,  and  the 
argument  he  delivered  was  so  clearly  and  cogently  expressed  as  to 
attract  the  attention  of  Judge  Theron  R.  Strong,  who  happened 
to  be  in  attendance.  He  saw  in  him  the  material  of  a  g>3od  lawyer, 
and  not  only  advised  him  to  enter  upon  the  study  of  the  legal 
profession,  but  offered  him  a  place  in  his  law  office.  In  1839  he 
accordingly  began  reading  law  in  this  gentleman's  office.  He  en- 
tered upon  his  studies  with  the  utmost  zeal  and  resolution.  For 
two  years  he  was  a  most  indefatigable  student.  He  read  from  5 
in  the  morning  until  9  A.  M.,  after  which  he  attended  to  the  busi- 
ness duties  of  the  office  until  8  P.  M.,  when  he  resumed  his  reading 
until  eleven  at  night.  What  he  read  was  read  thoroughly.  It 
was  not  in  his  nature  to  skim  over  the  surface.  He  made  himself 
familiar  with  all  the  great  leading  principles  of  the  law,  and  their 

application  to  the  codes  of  practice  then  in  vogue. 

340 


OLIVER    H      PALMER. 

In  July,  1842,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  as  an  attorney  and 
counselor  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  as  a  solicitor  and  counselor  in 
chancery.  Previous  to  this  time  Judge  Strong  had  taken  his  seat  in 
Congress,  and  the  main  responsibiUty  of  his  large  practice  devolved 
upon  Mr.  Palmer.  It  was  a  responsibility  to  which  he  soon  showed 
himself  fully  equal.  In  June,  1844,  Judge  Strong,  appreciating 
his  legal  abilities  and  promise,  took  him  as  an  equal  partner.  Directly 
after  the  commencement  of  his  practice,  it  should  be  stated  that 
Mr.  Palmer  was  appointed  first  Judge  of  the  Courts  of  Wayne 
county — a  position  he  resigned,  however,  after  becoming  associated 
as  law  partner  with  Judge  Strong.  He  continued  to  practice  law 
till  1863,  and,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say,  stood  in  the  front  rank  of 
the  profession  in  Western  New  York.  Like  most  lawyers  he  was 
a  somewhat  active  politician  as  well  as  lawyer,  and  frequently 
addressed  political  assemblages  on  the  exciting  political  topics  of 
the  day.  In  addition  to  this,  he  was  also,  a  portion  of  the  time, 
editor  of  the  leading  Democratic  paper  of  the  county.  He  was  a 
terse,  vigorous  writer,  as  well  as  a  jjolished  and  forcible  speaker. 
Meantime  his  views  on  the  subject  of  slavery  had  changed  consid- 
erably from  those  entertained  by  the  masses  of  the  Democratic 
party.  In  1848  he  became  an  active  supporter  of  the  Free-Soil 
Van  Buren  platform,  and  afterwards  became  identified  with  the 
Republican  party,  and  worked  most  zealously  for  the  election  of 
Abraham  Lincoln.  Although  continuing  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, as  stated,  till  1863,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  he  was  an 
idle  spectator  of  the  momentous  events  connected  with  the  out- 
break and  progressive  stages  of  the  late  Civil  War.  Immediately 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he  took  sides  with  the  Government, 
and  lent  the  influence  of  his  voice  and  pen  in  its  earnest  support. 
This  did  not  satisfy  him.  He  gave  his  personal  endeavors  to  the 
raising  of  troops  for  the  war.  His  patriotism  did  not  stop  here. 
President  Lincoln's  call  of  July  1st,  1862,  for  more  troops  to  be 
placed  immediately  in  the  field,  was  for  him  the  call  of  duty.  He 
determined  to  go  to  the  war  himself,  and  with  the  hosts  of  other 
noble  volunteers,  peril  his  own  life  in  fighting  the  battles  of  his 
country.  Although  his  age,  and  the  situation  of  his  family  and 
business,  offered  the  greatest  discouragement  to  this  undertak- 
ing, he  faltered  not  in  his  estimation  of  duty,  and  acted  accord- 
ingly. 

This  patriotic  determination  did  not  pass  unnoticed  by  his  fel- 

341 


OLIVER    H.     PALMER. 

low-citizens  of  Rochester.     A  letter  addressed  to  him,  dated  Roch- 
ester,  August  14th,  1862,  and  now  before  us,  is  as  follows  : 

"  My  Neighbor  and  Esteemed  Friend  : 

"I  desire  to  contribute  something  toward  your  outfit  for  the 
public  service.  Allow  me  to  defray  the  expense  of  your  sword, 
pistols,  saddle,  and  bridle.  Please  draw  on  me  for  the  cost  of  these 
articles  at  your  convenience. 

"None  but  your  intimate  friends  can  fully  appreciate  the  ex- 
alted motives  that  prompt  you  to  exchange  the  quiet  comforts  of 
home  and  family  for  the  privations,  and  turmoils,  and  dangers  of 
war.  The  anarchy  and  ruin  which  threaten  our  country  will  be 
averted  if  self-sacrificing  patriotism  hke  yours  pervades  the  people. 
If  it  does  not,  we  are  unworthy  to  enjoy  the  mild  and  beneficent 
government  under  which  we  have  lived  in  security  and  peace." 

Placing  himself  at  the  head  of  the  108th  New  York  Regiment 
— an  appointment  not  of  his  own  seeking,  and  unexpectedly  con- 
ferred upon  him — he  threw  his  whole  soul  into  the  work,  went  to 
the  relief  of  the  country  in  the  most  critical  period  of  her  need, 
and,  under  God,  helped  to  save  the  nation. 

To  trace  the  military  course  of  General  Palmer,  and  do  it  the  jus- 
tice his  patriotism  and  valor  deserve,  would  fill  a  volume.  He  not 
only  showed  great  heroism  in  the  field,  but  proved  himself  a  most  effi- 
cient commanding  officer.  The  first  battles  in  which  his  regiment 
particii^ated  were  in  General  McClcllan's  memorable  campaign  in 
Maryland  and  Virginia.  At  South  Mountain  and  Antietam,  the  regi- 
ment was  conspicuous  for  its  daring,  audits  colonel  forhis  coolness  and 
bravery.  At  Fredricksburg  he  commanded  a  brigade.  As  part  of  the 
history  of  that  terribly  disastrous  afiair,  we  cannot  do  better  than 
quote  from  his  own  graphic  pen  :  "  It  was  an  advance  to  disaster 
and  death.  We  had  to  cross  the  plain  about  eighty  rods  in  the  face 
of  a  destructive,  accurate,  and  deadly  fire,  and  then  we  were  brought 
up  against  a  high  stone- wall,  protected  in  front  by  an  impassable 
canal,  and  against  sand-banks  protected  by  insurmountable  abatis 
that  no  infantry  in  the  world  could  overcome,  while  from  this  wall, 
and  from  those  sand-banks,  were  poured  down  upon  us  torrents  of 
grape  and  canister  and  leed,  from  the  unerring  rifles  of  the  sharp- 
shooters, and  we  could  fire  only  by  guess.  It  was  too  hot.  One- 
third  of  my  brigade  were  disabled  in  twenty  minutes,  and  I  was 
compelled  to  fall  back.     The  scene  was  frightful  but  intensely  ex- 

342 


OLIVER    H.    PALMER. 

citing.  New  brigades  of  fresh  tioops  were  forming  in  line  and 
advancing,  hoping  to  be  more  successful,  but  I  knew  they  were 
doomed  to  disappointment  and  death.  Broken  and  shattered  com- 
panies, regiments,  and  brigades  were  falling  back.  Dead  and 
wounded  officers  and  men  were  brought  to  the  rear,  some  in  blank- 
ets, more  on  the  shoulders  of  comrades.  You  would  see  one  here 
with  one  arm,  another  there  with  one  leg,  trying  to  get  back,  some 
moaning,  some  swearing.  Occasionally  a  poor  fellow  trying  to  save 
the  half  not  shot  away,  would  disappear  in  fragments  by  a  round 
shot,  or  amidst  the  smoke  of  an  exploded  shell." 

At  length  ill  health  compelled  Colonel  Palmer  to  ask  to  be  re- 
lieved from  his  command.  He  took  leave  of  his  regiment  on  March 
6th,  1863,  near  Falmouth.  What  could  be  more  touching  and  ten- 
der, more  inspired  by  earnest  patriotism  than  the  closing  words  of 
his  farewell  address,  which  we  cannot  refrain  from  quoting  : 

"  Soldiers,  I  shall  watch  you  with  intense  interest;  I  shall  feel 
your  sufferings  and  your  hardships;  I  shall  rejoice  in  your  fame  and 
success.  Your  glory  will  cheer  me  wherever  I  am,  but  your  shame 
would  crush  my  heart.  Eemember  I  own  an  interest  in  those  once 
bright  and  beautiful,  now  seared  and  battered,  but  still  more  beau- 
tiful banners,  which  I  vahie  above  all  price.  They  bear  record  of 
your  valor  ,  the  three-score-and-ten  stars  made  in  them  by  rebel 
bullets  at  the  battle  of  Antietam  form  a  constellation  worthy  almost 
of  adoration.  Stand  by  them.  And  when  you  return  again  to  your 
peaceful  home,  bring  them  with  you  that  I  may  again  see  them, 
and  unite  with  you  in  the  appropriate  action  for  their  lasting  pres- 
ervation.    Farewell." 

Colonel  Palmer  after  his  return  to  Rochester  slowly  regained  his 
shattered  health.  He  received  the  first  appointment  of  Provost- 
Marshall  for  the  Rochester  District,  which  office  he  held  until  other 
duties  in  civil  life  required  him  to  relinquish  it.  The  records  of 
the  War  Department  bear  ample  evidence  of  his  organizing  and 
executive  skill  in  that  hitherto  untried  and  delicate  branch  of  the 
Government  service.  In  this,  as  in  every  duty  assumed  by  him  in 
public  or  2>rivate  affairs,  he  achieved  complete  success.  On  the  22d 
of  May,  1866,  he  was  commissioned  Brigadier-G-eneral  by  brevet, 
for  faithful  and  meritorious  services.  His  army  career  was  brief 
but  brilliant,  and  none  more  deeply  regretted  than  himself  the 
necessity  of  his  withdrawal  from  the  field  of  his  triumphs. 

After  his  retirement  from  the  army  and  the  restoration   of  his 


OLIVER    H.    PALMER. 

health,  he  was  offered  the  position  of  Treasurer  of  the  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Company,  which  he  accepted,  and  still  retains.  When 
the  offices  were  removed  to  New  York  he  also  removed  to  that  city, 
of  which  he  has  now  become  a  permanent  resident.  To  give  him- 
self respite  from  his  onerous  duties  he  spent  the  summer  of  1870  in 
a  tour  over  Europe.  He  is  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  Mutual  Life 
Insurance  Company  of  New  York.  He  was  married,  in  1843,  to  Miss 
Susan  Augusta  Hart,  daughter  of  the  late  Treasurer  Hart,  and  has 
a  most  interesting  family. 

Thorouglily  conversant  with  political  affairs,  General  Palmer 
has  persistently  declined  to  make  politics  a  profession.  All  the 
tempting  baubles  of  office  he  has  steadfastly  refused.  Few  men, 
however,  are  more  public-spirited,  and  he  is  justly  esteemed  as  one 
of  the  most  valuable  men  of  the  day.  Few  possess  more  captiva- 
ting qualities  in  social  intercourse.  His  manners  are  polished  and 
genial,  his  satire  fresh,  his  heart  brimful  of  kindly  sympathies,  and 
altogether  he  is  a  nobly  wrought  specimen  of  a  noble  man. 

344 


JOEL    PARKER/ 


;|\   OEL  PARKER,  Govurnor  elect  of  New  Jersey,  pre- 

seiits   a   rare  combination  of  mental  and  jiliysical 

^/ff^    jiowers,  vital  and  motive  organisms,  with  mind  and 

i   body   active,    vigorous,    tireless  ;    spirits    buoyant — an 
excellent  type  of  American  manhood. 
Grovernor  Parker  is  American,  both  by  nativity  and 

parentage,  some  of  his  ancestors  having  fought  for  liberty 
in  the  Revolutionary  War.  At  the  very  begianing  of  that  war 
his  grandfather,  on  his  mother's  side,  entered  the  army  as  a  private, 
and  continued  therein  to  the  end,  either  in  the  ranks  or  as  a  com- 
pany officer,  distinguishing  himself  in  many  battles.  Joel  Parker 
was  born  in  the  county  of  Monmuntli,  N.  J.,  within  gun-shot 
of  the  battle-ground  of  Monmouth,  Nov.  •24th,  181C.  His  lather 
and  mother  were  also  natives  of  that  county.  His  father,  Charles 
Parker,  although  self-taught,  was  one  of  the  leading  business  men 
of  the  State,  and  filled  many  responsible  public  positions  of  trust 
and  emolument.  At  about  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  he  served 
a  term  as  Sheriif  of  Monmouth  county  ;  and,  as  the  custom  was 
then  to  elect  the  retiring  Sheriff'  to  the  Assembly,  he  went  out  of 
the  Sheriff's  office  into  the  Legislature,  to  which  he  was  returned 
five  consecutive  terms.  During  his  fifth  term  he  was  elected  State 
Treasurer  by  the  Democrats,  on  joint  ballot  of  the  two  branches 
of  the  Legislature, — a  position  he  held  for  sixteen  successive  years, 
under  various-complexioned  administrations,  being  retained  solely 
for  his  great  financial  ability,  and  the  faithful  discharge  of  his 
duties.  When  he  was  first  chosen  Treasurer,  in  1821,  he  removed 
to  Trenton,  the  State  capital,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
educated,  not  only  in  the  formal  routine  of  the  best  schools  of  that 

*This  sketch,  with  the  exception  of  some  modifications  and  additions,  was  pub 
lished  originally  in  Tlie  Pour  Quarters,  of  Philadelphia,  hy  J.  Trainor  King. 

345 


JOEL    PARKER. 

city,  but  in  the  more  essential  brauch, — practical  experience  in  his 
father's  office.  In  and  about  the  State  Treasurer's  office,  Gov. 
Parker  received  his  first  lessons  of  political  economy  and  State 
wisdom,  and  from  a  master  than  whom  the  State  has  never  known 
a  better.  In  that  State,  at  that  time,  the  library  was  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Treasurer,  and  to  tliis  liad  Joel  not  only  access, 
but  for  a  considerable  tinm  had  it  in  charge,  much  to  his  mental 
advantage.  When  Mr.  Charles  Parker  retired  from  the  Treasurer's 
office,  he  bought  a  tarm  in  his  native  county,  with  the  intention  -^f 
removing  thither  and  spending  the  balance  of  liis  days  in  the  waKss 
of  private  life.  This,  however,  he  was  not  allowed  to  carry  into 
effect,  as  he  was  irresistibly  ajipealed  to  to  accept  the  presidency  of 
the  Mechanics  and  Manufacturers'  Bank  of  Trenton.  On  this  turn 
of  affairs,  Joel  was  sent  to  Monmouth  to  manage  the  farm,  which 
he  did  some  two  or  three  years,  as  mtich  to  the  advantage  of  his 
physical  development  as  his  father's  office  and  thelilirary  hadbeei"' 
of  his  mental.  Returning  to  Trenton,  he  entered  Pi'inceton  Col 
lege,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1S39,  and  immediately  there 
upon  commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  witli  Hon.  Henry  W.  Greea 
of  Trenton,  who  was  afterward  Chief-Justice,  and  also  Chancellor 
of  New  Jersey.  In  1842,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  the  same 
year  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Freeliold,  in  his 
native  county,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided  and  continued  ia 
practice.  In  1843,  he  was  married  to  Maria  M.,  eldest  daughter 
of  Samuel  R.  Gummere,  of  Burlington,  N.  J.,  the  principal  of  a 
Friends'  school  of  that  place,  a  union  that  has  l>een  signally  blessed 
with  all  the  essentials  of  peace  and  prosperity. 

In  1844,  Governor  Parker  miide  his  debut  on  the  political  stage. 
In  this  campaign  he  distinguislied  himself  as  a  stump-speaker,  and 
did  yeoman  service  in  the  cause  of  the  old  Constitutional  party. 

In  1847,  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  from  Monmouth  coun- 
ty, as  then  constituted,  since  divided  into  five  districts  and  two 
counties, — Monmouth  and  Ocean.  At  the  time  he  was  nominated 
he  was  not  a  candidate,  nor  even  talked  of  In  the  House,  being 
the  only  lawyer  on  the  Democratic  side,  gave  him  a  decided  leader- 
ship in  his  party,  especially  on  all  questions  of  legal  bearing. 
Amono-  the  first  bills  offered  by  him  was  one  to  equalize  taxation, 
by  taxing  personal  as  well  as  real  property.  The  Whigs  had  the 
majority,  but  many  of  them  did  not  want  to  put  themselves  on 
record  against  the  bill,  nor  yet  for  it.     It  was  a  fire-brand  in  their 

346 


JOEL    PARKER. 

midst,  that  seriously  threatened  disruption.  The  farmer-members 
of  hoth  parties  went  genenilly  with  Mr.  Parker.  Finally  the  mat- 
ter was  laid  over,  and  the  publication  of  the  bill  and  Mr.  Paiker's 
speech  in  all  the  papers  in  the  State  ordered,— a  distniguished  com- 
pliment to  the  young  member.  The  result  of  the  agitation  of  the 
question,  coupled  with  Mr.  Parker's  name,  gave  him  a  State-wide 
reputation,  which,  together  with  the  merits  of  the  measure,  re- 
dounded to  his  credit,  and,  perhaps,  contributed  to  the  election  of 
Governor  Fort,  in  1850,  besides  the  final  carrying  of  the  measure, 
which  remains,  substantially,  on  the  statute-book  to  this  day.  At 
the  close  of  the  session  he  opposed  the  usual  appropriation  for  "  in- 
cidentals," and,  being  defeated,  he  never  lifted  his  ratio  ;  conse- 
quently, his  share  of  the  "incidental"  fund  still  remains  in  the 
treasury.  The  following  year  he  refused  to  be  a  candidate  for  the 
State  Senate,  on  the  ground  that  his  practice  was  increasing  so 
rapidly  as  to  require  all  his  time  and  attention. 

He  was  soon  after  appointed  prosecuting  attorney  of  Monmouth 
county,  and  served  five  years,  which  brought  him  in  contact  with 
some  of  the  brightest  legal  minds  of  the  State. 

In  1860,  he  was  chosen  a  United  States  elector  by  5,000 
majority,  and  was  one  of  the  three  Northern  electors  who  cast  their 
votes  for  Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  the  Electoral  College. 

For  several  years  prior  to  the  war,  Governor  Parker  was  Briga- 
dier-General of  the  Monmouth  and  Ocean  Brigade,  and  took  an 
interest  in  military  matters.  In  1861,  Gov.  Olden  (Pvep.)  nomi- 
nated him  to  the  Senate  as  major-general  of  the  five  counties  of 
Monmouth,  Ocean,  Mercer,  Union,  and  Middlesex,  with  a  view  to 
promote  volunteering,  and  organize  the  forces.  The  Senate  unani- 
mously confirmed  the  nomination,  and  the  result  shows  that  the 
confidence  thus  reposed  in  a  Democrat  was  not  overestimated,  as 
the  district  sent  out  promptly  several  regiments  of  good  fighting 
men,  many  of  them  the  Governor's  old  militia  followers.  In  1862, 
his  county  presented  his  name  in  convention  for  Governor.  Other 
counties  and  districts,  of  course,  put  forward  their  favorites,  but 
enough  could  not  be  marshaled  for  either  one.  Finally,  all  agreed 
upon  Mr.  Parker,  who  was  unanimously  nominated,  and  was  elected 
over  Hon.  Marcus  L.  Ward  by  14,600  majority,— a  majority  three 
times  as  great  as  ever  received  by  any  candidate  for  Governor  since 
the  office  has  been  elective.  He  was  inaugurated  in  January,  1863, 
for  three  years.     His  administration  of  the  office  was  distinguished 

347 


JOEL    PAEKJER. 

for  its  financial  policy  and  efiiciency  in  promoting  and  aiding  the 
General  Government  in  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion,  and  in  keep- 
ing up,  by  personal  exertion,  volunteering  for  one  year  after  all 
other  States  were  drafting. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that,  notwithstanding  he  stood  firmly  upon 
Democratic  principles,  and  upheld  the  sovereignty  of  the  State, 
yet,  agreeing  witli  General  Jackson,  that  "  the  Union  should  be 
perpetual,"  he  gave  all  the  energy  of  his  nature  to  the  support  of 
the  Government  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war,  and,  as  the  record 
will  show,  raised  more  men,  in  proportion  to  the  pojjulation  of  the 
State,  than  any  Governor  of  any  Northern  State; — 80,000  men,  or 
one-tenth  of  the  entire  population  of  the  State,  went  to  the  war. 
This  speaks  for  itself. 

When  he  took  the  reins,  the  State,  in  her  civil  account,  had 
been  for  years  largely  in  arrears,  but  by  his  checks  on  extravagance, 
this  was  not  only  entirely  obliterated,  but,  at  the  end  of  his  term, 
there  was  a  large  surplus  in  the  treasury. 

We  have  a  right  to  look  into  the  finances  of  this  State  under 
Democratic  government  for  three  years,  with  the  expectation  of 
finding  them  to  be  sound  and  healthy,  in  sjjite  of  the  war  expendi- 
tures. Our  expectations  are  more  than  fuUy  met.  The  whole  war 
debt  of  the  State  hardly  exceeds  two  millions,  and  that  was  money 
given  to  her  soldiers  and  their  iamilies.  Not  a  single  bond  of  the 
State  of  New  Jersey  has  been  sold  below  par.  The  premiums  on 
bonds  sold  during  Governor  Parker's  administration  have  amounted 
to  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  An  examination  of 
the  finances  which  excludes  the  war  debt,  the  "  State  account " 
proper  shows  that  for  civil  purposes  the  State  of  New  Jersey  does 
not  owe  a  single  dollar,  but  that  there  is  an  actual  cash-balance  in 
her  treasury  tiilling  but  little  short  of  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

When  Pennsylvania  was  invaded  by  Lee,  Governor  Parker  had 
New  Jersey  troops  marching  through  Philadelphia  to  repel  the 
Southrons  almost  before  our  people  realized  their  danger.  This, 
however,  is  only  one  instance  of  his  promptness  ;  the  records  of  the 
war  and  the  annals  of  New  Jersey  abound  with  them. 

That  the  record  of  Joel  Parker  during  the  trying  scenes  of  his 
administration,  when  war  with  its  horrors  was  upon  the  land,  was 
characterized  as  one  of  true  devotion  to  the  interests  of  the  State, 
and   of  an  economical  administration  of  the  public  finances,    no 

348 


JOEL    PARKEE. 

one  will  now  gainsay.  In  February,  1864,  a  demand  was  made  on 
the  State  for  12,000  men,  alleged  to  have  been  a  deficiency  not 
furnished  by  the  previous  Governor.  Unable  to  procure  redress 
from  the  War  Department,  Governor  Parker  sought  President 
Lincoln,  and,  explaining  to  him  the  unjustness  of  this  levy,  was  able 
to  have  the  quota  stricken  off.  As  the  State  was  then  paying  five 
hundred  dollars  bounty  per  man,  a  sum  of  six  millions  of  dollars 
was  thus  saved  to  New  Jersey. 

At  the  close  of  his  Gubernatorial  term.  Governor  Parker  re- 
turned to  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Freehold,  and,  in  1868, 
at  the  National  Democratic  Convention  in  New  York,  received  the 
full  vote  of  New  Jersey  on  every  ballot  for  the  nomination  for 
President.  When  the  campaign  of  1871  was  awaiting  its  nomi- 
nees, ere  commencing,  the  name  of  e.^-Governor  Parker  was 
prominently  mentioned  as  the  Democratic  candidate  for  the 
Gubernatorial  chair.  Up  to  the  time  of  the  assembling  of  the 
nominating  convention,  it  had  been  positively  asserted  that  Gov- 
ernor Parker  would  not,  under  any  circumstances,  accept  the  nomi- 
nation. There  were,  however,  far  seeing-men  of  his  party  who 
saw  in  the  ex-Governor  the  only  hope  of  the  Democracy  in  an 
attempt  to  carry  the  Executive  office;  and  when  the  letter  of  Gov- 
ernor Parker  to  a  friend  was  read,  in  which  he  was  seen  to 
studiously  avoid  a  nomination,  but,  nevertheless,  to  be  willing  to 
accept  it  if  unanimously  offered,  these  leaders  of  the  party  at  once 
brought  forward  his  name,  and,  although' other  prominent  candi- 
dates were  not  only  in  the  field,  but  had  had  their  names  cast  in 
Convention,  and  were  at  the  moment  of  the  nominating  of  the  Gov- 
ernor awaiting  the  return  of  the  tellers  of  the  ballots,  they  were 
set  aside,  and  county  after  county  followed  each  other  in  withdraw- 
ing their  candidates  and  giving  in  their  warmest  adhesion  to  ex- 
Governor  Joel  Parker. 

The  following  is  his  letter,  as  read  in  the  Nominating  Conven- 
tion, and  about  which  there  has  been  so  much  comment  as  to  ren- 
der its  insertion  here  desirable  : 

MB.   PARKER'S  LETTEE  OF   DECLINATION. 

Freehold,  Sept.  11,  1871. 
Dear  Sir — If,  at   the    Convention   on   Wednesday   next,  my  name   may  be 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Gubernatorial  nomination,  I  wish  you  at  once 
to  withdraw  it  from  tlie  list  of  candidates. 

In  requesting  you  to  do  this,  I  am  influenced  by  several  considerations.     Chief 
among  these  is  the  fact  that  if  elected  I  could  not  well  afford  to  hold  the  position. 

349 


JOEL    PARKER. 

Wbile  I  am  willing  to  make  any  reasonable  sacrifice  to  gratify  my  friends,  I  have 
a  duty  to  perforin  to  my  family  which  should  control. 

The  gentlemen  who  are  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  nomination  were  all 
my  warm  friends  and  efficient  supporters  in  the  election  nine  years  ago  ;  and,  even 
if  I  desired  a  nomination,  it  would  not  be  right  for  me  to  use  the  influence  they 
aided  me  to  obtain  in  a  contest  with  them  as  a  candidate. 

You  ask  me  what  course  I  should  pursue  should  all  the  candidates  decline  and 
the  Convention  nominate  me  unanimously. 

Such  an  event  is  so  improbable  that  it  ought  not  to  be  anticipated.  A  nomina- 
tion made  with  unanimity,  through  the  voluntary  acquiescence  of  all  the  candi- 
dates and  against  my  own  desire,  repeatedly  expressed,  would  be  a  result  too 
marked  to  leave  me  any  option  in  the  matter.  But  I  am  quite  sure  this  will  not 
occur,  and  under  other  circumstances  I  could  not  consent. 

Such  being  my  conclusion,  I  hope  all  the  other  delegates  will  act  as  if  I  had 
never  been  named  in  connection  with  the  nomination.  I  am  confident  that,  from  the 
many  good  men  who  are  candidates,  a  choice  can  and  will  be  made  of  a  leader 
who  will  conduct  us  successfully  through  the  contest.  I  only  ask  to  remain  in 
the  ranks  of  the  people  a  private  citizen. 

The  urgent  appeals  to  me  to  reconsider  my  determination  not  to  be  a  candi- 
date for  the  nomination  have  much  embarrassed  me.  To  have  one's  public  life 
approved  by  his  fellow-citizens  is  indeed  gratifying.  I  shall  always  remember 
with  emotions  of  gratitude  the  Democracy  of  this  State,  who  on  a  former  occasion 
honored  me  by  a  nomination,  and  also  the  people  of  New  Jersey,  who  ratified  the 
choice  and  who  so  nobly  sustained  me  during  that  trying  period  of  my  public 
service. 

Grateful  for  the  good  opinion  of  my  friends,  with  the  warmest  wish  that  the 
Convention  will  be  harmonious  and  the  candidate  nominated  on  Wednesday  next 
be  elected,  I  am  yours, 

Joel  Pakkeb. 

During  the  campaign  he  woi'ked  most  energetically,  speaking 
in  all  the  principal  cities  in  the  State  and  at  many  other  points; 
and  his  election  followed  in  due  course,  he  obtaining  82,362  votes, 
against  76,393  for  Cornelius  Walsh,  giving  a  majority  of  5,979.  In 
person  Governor  Parker  is  commanding.  He  is  neither  proud  nor 
vain,  mingles  with  his  fellow-citizens  of  all  classes  without  distinc- 
tion, and  never  refuses  to  befriend  the  most  humble  ;  wherein  he 
shows  the  noblest  trait  of  a  public  man's  character.  The  middle 
classes  love  him  for  his  benevolence;  and  those  more  favored,  for 
his  fine  intellect,  great  executive  ability,  and,  above  all,  his 
unimpeachable  honesty. 

350 


JOHN    J.    PECK. 


f^ENERAL  JOHN  J.  PECK  was  bora  in  Manlius, 
New  York,  January  4th,  1821.     He  entered  the  U. 
^5^    S.  M.  A.,  of  which  Franklin,  Quinby,  and  Grant  were 
1%   members,  and  graduated  eighth  in  a  large  class  in  1843. 
^w.    Two  years  later  he  asked  and  obtained  leave  to  accom- 
, .,,    pany  Duncan's  Battery  to  Taylor's  army  at  Corpus  Christi. 
«^    He  was  an  active  participator  in  the  military  movements 
towards  the  Rio  Grande,  and  occupied  Fort  Brown  till  the  forced 
march  of  the  troops  to  relieve  Point  Isabel  was  made.    He  was  also 
in  the  battles  of  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca    de  la  Palma,  and  in  the 
movement  to  relieve  Fort  Brown.     Referring  to  his  behavior  at 
this  time,  General  Belknap  says:    "It  affords  me  the  greatest 
pleasure  to  bear  cheerful  testimony  to  your  gallant  bearing  and 
valuable  services  in  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca.     Being 
sent  to  me  frequently  by  your  gallant  commander,  Colonel  Dun- 
can, to  communicate  information  and  receive  orders,  your  conduct, 
under  circumstances  of  great  exposure,  came  particularly  within  my 
observation,  in  addition  to  the  steadiness  and  effective  service  with 
the  guns  of  the  -battery  to  which  you  were  attached."     His  gal- 
lantry in  these  battles  also  prompted  General  Taylor  to  commend 
him  for  brevet  promotion.    We  next  hear  of  Peck  in  the  battle  of 
Monterey,    in   the  advance  guard   at   San  Jeronimo,  and   in  the 
forlorn  hope  that  stormed  Federation  Hill,  turned  the  Mexican 
battery  on  Independence  Hill,  and  shelled  the  city  from  the  Bishop  s 
Palace     Major-General  Worth  says  :  "  To  the  justness  of  the  com- 
mendations of  Peck's  chiefs  I  have  the  pleasure  to  add  my  per- 
sonal observations."     Soon  after  this  Peck  was  placed  on  the  stall 
of  General  Worth,  and  commended  for  a  second  brevet  of  Captain. 
On  the  advance  to  Saltillo,  Peck,  as  Assistant  Engineer  made 
a  survey  of  the  city.     One  of  the  redoubts  serving  as  a  base  of  oper- 


351 


JOHN    J.    PECK. 

ations  at  the  time  of  the  attack  and  defeat  of  Minon's  brigade  on 
the  rear  of  Taylor's  army  at  Buena  Vista,  was  made  by  Peck,  and 
approved  by  Engineer  Sanders. 

Peck  then  accompanied  General  Scott  on  his  flag-ship  Massa- 
chusetts to  Vera  Cruz,  and  landed  in  the  first  line.  At  the  siege 
of  Vera  Cruz  he  participated  from  beginning  to  end.  He,  with  his 
company,  also  supported  General  Harney  in  storming  Telegraph 
Hill,  and  later.  General  Shields  in  carrying  the  reannost  batteries 
at  Cerro  Gordo.  As  General  Worth  advanced  towards  Churu- 
busco.  Peck's  company  was  on  the  right,  and,  after  crossing  the 
Rio  Churubusco,  it  co-operated  in  the  action  of  General  Shields 
on  the  left.  For  his  conduct  at  Contreras  and  Churubusco,  Peck 
received  the  brevet  of  Captain.  From  General  Garland's  report 
of  Molino  del  Rey  we  quote:  "A  portion  of  the  brigade  moved 
toward  a  strong  work  to  the  left,  occupied  by  the  enemy,  drove 
them  from  it,  and  closely  pursued  them  across  the  field.  Lieu- 
tenant Peck  being  opportunely  at  hand,  took  charge  of  the  cap- 
tured guns,  and  rendered  good  service  at  several  points."  In 
Colonel  Belton's  report  we  read:  "I  beg  to  notice  with  com- 
mendation the  vigor,  skill,  and  gallantry  of  Lieutenant  Peck  with 
the  6-pounder  captured  from  the  enemy."  Ripley,  in  his  account 
of  the  action,  says:  "A  strong  Mexican  force  having  been  rallied 
by  General  Pena  S.  Barragan,  it  advanced  along  the  wood  north  of 
the  inclosure  of  Chepultepec  with  the  apparent  determination  of 
retaking  the  Molino.  With  this  column  was  an  18-pounder  ;  but, 
before  it  opened,  Colonel  Bolton  ordered  up  Drum's  guns  and  a  cap- 
tured G-pounder,  served  by  Lieutenant  Peck,  and  men  of  the  Light 
Battalion.  These  three  pieces  opened  so  rapid  and  well-directed  a 
fire  that  the  Mexican  column  gave  way  before  it,  leaving  the  18- 
pounder."  Colonel  Reeve,  Peck's  immediate  commander,  reports  : 
"  It  is  a  highly  pleasing  duty  to  bear  testimony  to  the  distinguished 
bravery  of  every  officer  in  the  battalion— all  leading  and  urging 
their  men  forward  under  a  fire  which  rendered  success  almost  hope- 
less.    More  than  one-third  were  killed  and  wounded." 

For  distinguished  services  in  the  battle  of  Molino  del  Rey,  the 
President  conferred  upon  Peck  the  rank  of  Major.  In  the  fall  of 
Chepultepec,  Peck  took  an  honorable  part,  and  he  was  in  the  main 
attack  of  General  Worth  on  this  causeway,  and  Garita,  and  shared 
in  the  movement  which  constituted  the  final  entry  into  the  City  of 

Mexico. 

a53 


JOHN    J.    PECK. 

Although  one  of  the  juniors,  he  was  commended  for  two  promo- 
tions on  General  Taylor's  line,  and  two  on  the  line  of  General  Scott. 
A  beautiful  sword  was  presented  to  him  bearing  the  following  in- 
scription: "  Presented  to  Major  J.  J.  Peck  by  the  citizens  of 
Manlius,  as  a  testimonial  of  respect  for  his  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct  in  the  battles  of  Palo  Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Monterey, 
Vera  Cruz,  Cerro  Gordo,  Contreras,  Churubusco,  Molino  del  Rey, 
Chepultepec  Causeway,  and  Gate  of  San  Cosme,  and  City  of 
Mexico." 

In  1849  and  1850,  Peck  was  in  New  Mexico,  and  took  part  in 
the  engagement  with  the  Navahoes  at  Tuna  Cheq.  Subsequently 
he  was  tendered  a  professorship  ifl  the  Virginia  Military  Institute 
(afterwards  filled  by  General  "  Stonewall ''  Jackson),  resigned  his 
array  commission  in  1853.  In  1854— '56,  he  was  Treasurer  of  the 
New  York,  Newburgh,  and  Syracuse  Railway  jjroject.  He  also 
organized  the  Burnet  Bank,  and,  in  1859-61,  was  President  of  the 
Board  of  Education.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Cincinnati  Con- 
vention for  nominating  a  President  in  1856,  and  of  the  Baltimore 
and  Charleston  Convention,  in  1860.  In  1856,  he  was  nominated 
for  Congress,  and,  in  1858, was  tendered  a  renomination. 

We  now  come  down  to  the  period  of  the  civil  war,  at  the  break- 
ing out  of  which,  Peck  tendered  his  services  to  President  Lincoln  as 
a  volunteer  in  any  capacity,  save  in  the  Regular  Army.  Governor 
Morgan  wished  to  present  to  the  Government  four  divisions,  con- 
sisting of  thirty  thousand  men,  all  complete.  Two  divisions  were 
raised,  and  Dix  and  Wadsworth  were  commissioned  as  Major- 
Generals.  Peck  was  also  to  have  had  a  commission,  but  the  plan 
failed,  since  tlie  President  could  not  receive  the  State  Generals 
under  the  law.  August  9th,  1861,  he  left  his  family  for  the  dangers 
of  the  field  as  a  Brigadier-General.  In  the  advance  from  Newport 
News  to  Yorktown  his  brigade  occupied  the  left  of  the  line.  At 
the  battle  of  Williamsburgh  his  brigade  took  an  active  and  import- 
ant part.  Alluding  to  this  action,  General  Keys,  commanding 
the  4th  Corps,  says  in  his  report:  "If  Peck  had  given  way,  the 
enemy  would  have  broken  our  centre,  and  a  rout  might  have  en- 
sued." During  the  day  Peck  captured  a  4-gun  battery  lost  by 
the  Union  forces;  also  a  Virginia  State  flag.  At  the  battle  of  Fair 
Oaks  he  had  one  horse  killed  under  him,  and  another  woimded. 
General  Couch  reports  as  follows:  "  General  Peck  fought  his  brig- 
ade with  skill  and  daring  courage,  his  horse  falling  under  him 


JOHN    J.    PECK. 

after  being  several  times  wounded.  His  command  added  new 
laurels  to  those  won  at  Williamsburgh."  Promoted  to  Case/s 
Division,  June  24th,  1862,  he  led  the  movement  of  the  army  across 
the  White  Oak  Swamp,  and,  on  the  28th,  was  with  the  advance  to 
the  James  Kiver.  At  Malvern  Hill  his  division  played  an  import- 
ant part,  and  it  was  selected  to  cover  the  entire  army  as  the  rear- 
guard in  the  move  from  Turkey  Creek  to  Harrison's.  July  4th, 
1862,  he  was  appointed  Major-General  for  services  in  the  field.  The 
Government  had  inscribed  on  his  colors  "  Yorktowu,  Williamsburgh, 
Fair  Oaks,  Railway  Bridge,  Chickahominy,  White  Oak  Swamp, 
Malvern  Hill,  Harrison's  Landing,"  &c.  September  22d,  1862, 
General  Peck  assumed  command  of  the  forces  in  Virginia  south  of 
the  James.  Of  the  defense  of  Suffolk  in  1863,  ample  evidence  is 
on  record  of  the  valuable  service  rendered  by  him  on  that  occasion. 
General  Slocum  says:  "  I  believe  that  the  force  of  the  enemy  in 
your  front  at  Suffolk  far  e.-iceeded  your  own,  and  I  think  the  grati- 
tude of  the  nation  is  due  to  you  and  your  gallant  army  for  the  im- 
portant services  performed  at  that  point."  General  Stoneman 
and  General  Meade  also  bear  written  testimony  to  the  heroic  efforts 
of  General  Peck  at  Suffolk  ;  alluding  to  which,  some  years  later, 
the  following  letter  was  received  : 

Hbad-Qtjartbhs  Armt  of  the  Potomac,  ) 
February  loth,  1865.  ) 

MAJOE-GBirBRAL  JOHN  J.  PECK, 

New  York : 

General  : 

That,  with  the  limited  force  under  your  command,  you  should  have  held  in 
check  and  defeated  the  designs  of  such  superior  numbers,  is  a  fact  of  which  you 
may  well  be  proud,  and  is  the  most  practical  proof  of  your  own  skill  and  the  gal- 
lantry of  your  troops. 

Very  respectfully,  yours, 

(Signed),  GEORGE  G.  MEADE, 

Major-Oeneral. 

Lossing  says  :  "  But  when  we  consider  the  grand  object  of  the 
Confederates  and  the  prize  at  stake,  and  the  fact  that  the  holding 
of  Longstreet  south  of  the  James,  so  that  he  could  not  reinforce 
Lee,  probably  saved  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  then  one  hundred 
and  twentj^-five  thousand  strong,  from  far  greater  disaster,  possibly 
annihilation,  at  Chancellorsville,  the  value  of  the  services  of  the 
gallant  Peck  and  his  brave  soldiers,  may  be  appreciated,  and  should 
be  fully  recognized  by  the  historian  and  the  student." 

354 


JOHN     J.     PECK. 


He  was  dismounted  in  repelling  an  attempted  surprise,  and  per- 
manently injured.  Duty  to  his  flimily  required  bis  leaving,  but  be 
did  not  do  so,  being  apprehensive  of  a  national  disaster  in  the  loss 
of  the  James,  Norfolk,  and  railroads  to  Richmond  and  Weldon. 

In  August,  1863,  General  Peck  was  assigned  to  the  command  of 
the  18th  Army  Corps,  and,  later,  to  the  command  of  the  army  in 
North  Carolina,  where  his  administration  was  approved  by  the 
Government.  He  was  refused  authority  to  destroy  the  iron-clad  on 
the  stocks  at  Halifax,  which,  in  April,  swept  the  Roanoke  and  Albe- 
marie.  Pickett  and  Hoke  were  defeated  at  Newbern  in  February 
and  May,  '6i.  In  ilay,  186-1,  he  was  sent  to  the  North  by  the 
Medical  Director  for  his  health,  and  in  July  was  assigned- as  second 
in  command  in  the  Department  of  the  East.  During  the  raids  from 
Canada  his  lieadquarters  were  at  Buffalo. 

At  the  time  of  President  Lincoln's  assassination,  General  Peck 
commanded  the  Department  of  the  East,  and  issued  the  orders  of 
respect.  He  addressed  a  meeting  in  Wall  street,  and  pledged  tlie 
maintenance  of  public  quiet  and  security  of  life  and*  property.  He 
was  President  of  the  Day  at  the  Academy  of  Music  when  New  York 
commemorated  the  raising  of  the  flag  by  General  Anderson  over 
Fort  Sumter,  was  the  guest  of  the  Stote,  July  4th,  1865,  and,  with 
Governor  Fenton  and  others,  witnessed  the  presentation  of  the  battle 
flags.  His  adopted  home,  the  city  of  Syi-acuse,  voted  a  resolution 
of  thanks  for  his  gallantry  in  the  late  war. 

In  1850,  he  married  Miss  Rhoby  H.  Loomis,  the  daughter  of 
Harvey  Loomis,  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

On  various  occasions  General  Peck  has  been  urged,  by  powerful 
political  interests,  to  be  a  candidate  for  some  of  the  most  responsible 
executive  places  on  the  State  ticket,  but  has  thus  far  invariably  de- 
clined. 

355 


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•^^-^^^^-^^^"fev^ 


GALUSHA   PENNYPACKER, 

BREVET  m:a.jok-g:eivi:ka.l,   XJ.  ©.  A.. 

By  Col.  Isaiah  Peice.' 


iNE  of  the  most  brilliant  records  made  by  any  sol- 
dier of  Pennsylvania,  and,  in  some  respects,  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  of  the  late  war,  was  that  of 
Brevet  Major-General  Galusha  Pennypacker,  U.  S.  A., 
Colonel  16th  Infantry,  late  Colonel  97th  Pennsylvania 
Infantry  Volunteers,  Brigadier-General  and  Brevet  Major- 
General  United  States  Volunteers,  who  was  born  at  the 
historic  locality  of  "  Valley  Forge,"  Chester  County,  Pennsylvania, 
June  1st,  1842" 

The  primogenitor  of  the  family  of  Pennypacker  in  America  was 
Heinrich  Pannebacker,  a  native  of  the  Low  Countries,  who  emi- 
grated, probably  from  near  Crefelt  on  the  Rhine,  to  Pennsylvania, 
prior  to  the  year  1702,  and  settled  on  Skippack  Creek,  in  Montgom- 
ery County. 

Heinrich  was  naturalized  in  1730,  and  died  in  1756.  His  de- 
scendants settled  principally  in  the  adjacent  counties  of  Montgom- 
ery, Berks  and  Chester;  and  some  members  of  the  second  and 
third  generations  found  their  way  into  Virginia,  Kentucky,  Tennes- 
see and  Mississippi — their  names  being  found  upon  the  records  of 
those  States  as  having  filled  positions  of  importance  and  trust,  and 
many  members  of  the  family  have  left  their  names  upon  the  rolls  as 
having  served  their  country  during  the  Eevolutionary  contest  and 
the  War  of  1812-15. 

Matthias  Pennypacker.  a  grandson  of  Heinrich,  removed  from 
Skippack  in  1776,  and  purchased  a  mill  on  Pickering  Creek,  in 
Chester  County.  He  was  a  bishop  of  the  sect  of  Mennonites,  a 
man  of  extensive  authority  and  influence,  of  great  benevolence  and 
justice,  of  whom  it  is  recorded  that  "  to  needy  neighbors  and  strug- 
gling young  men  who  came  to  borrow  of  his  substance  he  loaned 
freely,  without  interest,  and  without  taking  note,  bond  or  mortgage ; 

*  Brevet  Colonel  U.  S.  Volunteers;  Major  97th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

357 


GALUSHA     PENNYPACKEB. 

and  at  the  close  of  his  life  declared  that  tlirougb  this  practice  he  had 
never  lost  a  penny."  {Annals  of  Phoenixville  and  Vicinity,  by  Samuel 
W.  Penny  packer,  Esq.). 

Josepli  J.  Pennypacker,  a  grandson  of  Matthias,  was  the  father 
of  Galnsha,  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch.  He  resided,  during 
the  early  life  of  his  son,  near  "Valley  Forge;"  he  subsequently 
served  as  volunteer  aide-de-camp  upon  the  staff  of  Major-General 
Worth  during  the  Mexican  war,  after  which  he  became  a  resident 
of  California.  His  mother,  a  lady  of  wealth  and  many  accomplish- 
ments, was  Tamson  A.  Workizer,  only  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah 
A.  Workizer,  of  Valley  Forge.  She  died  when  her  son  (the  only 
child)  was  three  years  old.  His  boyhood  was  passed  on  a  farm  near 
Phoenixville,  Pa.,  under  the  care  of  his  paternal  grandmother,  Eliza- 
beth F.  Pennypacker,  whose  faithful  training  and  guardianship  con- 
tributed largely  to  qualify  him  for  the  eminent  service  he  has  ren- 
dered his  country. 

He  received  an  academical  education  in  Chester  County.  At  an 
early  age  he  learned  the  printing  business,  and  was  about  to  com- 
mence the  study  of  law  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  when  the  war  broke 
out  in  1861.  He  had,  while  a  printer  boy,  joined  a  volunteer  com- 
pany of  National  Guards  at  West  Chester,  Pa.,  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain (afterward  colonel)  H.  R.  Guss,  whose  company  was  one  of  the 
first  to  respond  to  the  call  of  the  President  for  troops,  and  marched  to 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  with  men  enough  enrolled  to  form  three  full  compan- 
ies. With  his  comjmny  he  was  mustered  into  the  three  months'  ser- 
vice as  2i  private  on  April  21st,  1861.  His  company  was  assigned  as 
Co.  A  to  the  9th  Regiment  I'ennsylvania  Volunteers.  Declining,  on 
a«count  of  his  youth,  a  first  lieutenancy  to  wliich  he  had  been  elected, 
he  was  appointed  sergeant,  and  afterward  promoted  to  quartermaster- 
sergeant  of  the  regiment,  and  performed  during  the  greater  part  of 
liis  term  of  enlistment  the  duties  of  regimental  quartermaster. 

His  regiment  being  assigned  to  the  command  of  Major-General 
R  Patterson,  advanced  with  his  column  into  Maryland,  and  was 
engaged  in  the  defence  of  the  border  counties  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Maryland  principally  in  the  vicinity  of  Williamsport,  Hai-per's 
Ferry,  Martinsburg,  and  other  localities  on  th  ■  Upper  Potomac. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  returned  to  West  Chester,  Pa., 
and  recruited  Company  A,  97th  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
for  the  three  years'  service.  Was  commissioned  Captain  August  22, 
1861. 

He  then  received  authority  from  Lieutenant-Colonel  C.  F.  Ruff, 


GALUSHA  PENKYP ACKER. 

IJ.  S.  mustering  officer  at  Philadelphia,  to  muster  the  officers  and 
ruen  of  the  remaining  companies  of  the  regiment,  which  service  be 
performed  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  that  officer. 

He  commanded  at  "  Camp  Wayne  "  during  the  organization  of 
the  regiment,  and  was  commissioned  Major  of  the  regiment  on  Octo- 
ber 7th,  1861. 

The  97th  Regiment  was  sent  first  to  Washington,  D.  C,  then  to 
Fortress  Monroe,  Va.,  and  on  the  8th  of  December,  1861,  embarlced 
for  Port  Royal,  S.  C,  and  served  subsequently  in  various  localities 
in  the  Department  of  the  South  until  April,  1861. 

With  his  regiment,  in  General  H.  G.  Wright's  brigade.  Major 
Pennypacker  participated  in  the  siege  of  Fort  Pulaski,  Ga.,  in  Jan- 
uary and  Februaiy,  1862  ;  the  occupation  of  Fort  Clinch  and  the 
cities  of  Fernandina  and  Jacksonville,  Florida,  in  March ;  at  the 
latter  being  frequently  engaged  in  skirmishing  with  the  enemy,  who 
made  determined  efforts  to  regain  possession  of  the  place.  In  the 
first  advance  upon  Charleston,  in  June,  1862,  with  his  regiment, 
made  a  reconnoisance  upon  the  march  across  John's  Island,  S.  C,  to 
ascertain  the  position  and  force  of  the  enemy  upon  the  left  flank  of 
the  advancing  column  ;  and  was  engaged  with  the  enemy's  cavalry 
scouts  in  a  brisk  skirmish,  capturing  some  prisoners. 

He  participated  in  the  battle  of  "Grimballs  Plantation,"  on 
James  Island,  S.  C,  June  10th,  and  the  battle  of  "  Secessionville," 
James  Island,  S.  C,  June  16th,  in  both  of  which  bis  regiment  was 
advanced  under  a  heaxj  fire  to  obtain  and  hold  positions  of  signal 
importance.  After  the  campaign  upon  James  Island,  in  1862,  Major 
Pennypacker  was  twice  detailed  as  a  member  of  general  court  mar- 
tial a't  Hilton  Head,  S.  C. ;  and  in  February,  1863,  he  was  detailed 
as  a  member  of  the  board  of  examiners  for  officers  for  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  South,  of  which  Major-General  A.  H.  Terry  was  presi- 
dent, and  was  engaged  in  that  service  with  the  board  until  relieved 
in  April,  1863. 

In  the  second  advance  upon  Charleston,  with  the  division  com- 
manded by  General  A.  H.  Terry,  he  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of 
"  Stevens  Landing,"  James  Island,  S.  C,  July  16th,  1868  ;  and  the 
subsequent  memorable  assault  upon  Fort  Wagner  on  the  night  of 
July  18tli.  Afterward  participated  in  the  arduous  siege  that  ensued, 
conducted  by  Brigadier-General  Q.  A.  Gilmore,  who  directed  his 
operations  against  Forts  Wagner  and  Gregg  from  July  18th  to  Sep- 
tember 7th,  1863,  resulting  in  the  evacuation  of  those  strongholds ; 
and  subsequently  the  occupation  of  those  forts  until  October  7th, 

339 


GALUSHA     PENNYPACKEK. 

being  continually  under  fire  from  Forts  Johnson,  Sumter  and  Moul- 
trie. 

During  a  considerable  portion  of  this  time  he  commauded  his 

regiment  until  prostrated  by  illness,  consequent  upon  the  arduous 
and  incessant  service  of  the  siege,  which  required  each  regiment  in 
the  trenches  every  alternate  twenty-four  hours ;  the  difficulty  attend- 
ing the  change  of  troops  at  the  front  leaving  often  less  than 
eighteen  hours'  rest  in  camp. 

In  December,  1863,  Major  Pennypacker  was  detailed  president 
of  a  general  court-martial  at  Fernandina,  Florida ;  and  soon  after  its 
adjournment  was  again  detailed  president  of  a  subsequent  court  that 
sat  during  most  of  January,  1864,  at  the  same  post.  In  February, 
1864,  he  led  an  expedition  with  about  300  men,  designed  to  surprise 
and  cajjtnre  a  rebel  camp  (Camp  Cooper)  near  Baldwin's  Station, 
upon  the  Florida  Railroad.  The  mai-ch  was  successfully  made,  and 
the  surprise  (during  the  night)  complete ;  but  the  force  captured  was 
less  than  anticipated,  owing  to  the  main  force  having  been  sent  the 
day  previously  to  reinforce  the  rebel  General  Finnigan's  command 
at  "Olustee,"  Florida.  Dm'ing  the  same  month,  with  the  same  force, 
he  advanced  by  a  land  march  to  "  Woodstock  Mills,"  upon  the  St. 
Mary's  River,  and  secured  possession  of  a  million  and  a  half  feet  of 
lumber.  During  his  operations  the  enemy  made  ineffectual  efforts 
to  drive  his  force  from  their  work.  The  expedition  was  supported 
by  the  naval  schooner  "  Para  "  on  the  St  Mary's  River.  After  the 
successful  accomplishment  of  his  object,  his  force  returned  to  Fer- 
nandina, Florida,  of  which  post  he  was  in  command  during  the 
month  of  April,  1864.  Near  the  end  of  that  month  he  brought  the 
regiment  to  Gloucester  Point,  Va.,  where  the  "Army  of  the  James" 
was  being  organized  by  General  Butler. 

In  the  advance  of  that  array  upon  Richmond,  in  May,  his  regi- 
ment reached  and  destroyed  the  railroad  and  telegraph  communica- 
tion between  Richmond  and  Petersburg ;  the  wires  of  the  latter  he 
severed  in  person  on  the  8th,  and  the  same  day  was  engaged  in 
action  at  "Swift  Creek,"  near  Petersbuig,  Va.  The  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  his  regiment  having  resigned  on  the  3rd  of  April,  Major 
Pennypacker  was  thereupon  promoted  to  lieutenant-colonel.  On  the 
14th  of  May  he  participated  in  the  engagement  at  Drury's  Bluff;  and 
on  the  16th  his  regiment,  with  the  13th  Indiana,  held  a  largely  supe- 
rior force  of  the  enemy  in  check  on  the  Weir  Bottom  Church  road, 
by  a  stubborn  resistance,  while  General  Butler  withdi-ew  his  troops 
to  their  entrenched  position.     On   the  18th  of  May,  a  portion  of 

SGO 


GALUSHA     PENKYPACKER. 

Beauregard's  forces,  having  driven  the  8th  Maine  from  their  picket 
line  near  "  Green  Plains,"  Bermuda  Hundred,  Va.,  the  97th  Penn- 
sylvania was  advanced  to  retake  it  Colonel  Pennypacker  deployed 
four  companies  in  a  skirmish  line,  which,  he  led  forward  upon  a  run, 
supported  by  the  remainder  of  the  regiment,  and,  in  the  face 
of  a  hot  fire  of  musketry,  routed  the  enemy  and  occupied  the 
position,  holding  it  from  eight  A.  M.  until  relieved  at  ten  P.  M., 
the  firing  being  maintained  with  vigor  during  the  entire  day. 
The  loss  in  this  daring  charge  was  nineteen  killed  and  thirty- 
eight  wounded.  On  the  morning  of  the  20tli  this  portion  of  the 
line,  owing  to  an  unaccountable  disregard  of  repeated  warn- 
ings of  the  movement  of  the  enemy  in  front,  duly  reported  to 
the  officer  in  charge,  who  failed  to  realize  the  situation,  was  again 
occupied  by  the  enemy  in  force.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Pennypacker, 
with  less  than  300  men,  was  ordered  to  recapture  the  line.  Without 
hesitation  he  formed  his  command,  and  with  a  steady  front  advanced 
under  a  galling  fire  of  cannister  and  musketry,  until  three  times 
wounded  and  more  than  half  of  his  men  had  fallen,  his  shattered 
and  broken  ranks  were  compelled  to  retire  from  the  field,  bearing 
their  wounded  commander.  The  desperate  character  of  this  heroic 
struggle  can  be  appreciated  when  it  is  known  that  the  charge  was 
made  by  less  than  300  men  across  an  open  field  against  the  rebel 
General  Picket's  division  in  an  entrenched  line,  with  six  pieces  of 
artillery  in  position  ;  and  from  the  fact  that  of  the  two  hundred  and 
ninety-five  men  engaged,  forty-seven  were  killed,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  wounded,  and  twelve  taken  prisoners — making  a  total 
loss  of  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight 

Colonel  Pennypacker  was  found  to  be  so  severely  wounded  in 
the  right  arm,  left  leg,  and  riglit  side  as  to  be  unable  to  rejoin  his  regi- 
ment until  the  12th  of  August  At  this  time  he  had  been  commis- 
sioned as  colonel  of  his  regiment. 

On  the  14th  of  August  he  led  his  regiment  in  action  at  "  Deep 
Bottom,  Va. ;"  on  the  16th  at  "  Strawbury  Plains,  Ya. ;'"  on  the  17th 
at  "  Malvern  Hill ;"  and  on  the  25th  his  regiment  recaptured  a  por- 
tion of  the  line  at  Weir  Bottom  Church. 

About  the  1st  of  September.  1864,  by  order  of  General  Butler, 
Colonel  Pennypacker  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  2nd  bri- 
gade of  the  2nd  division,  10th  corps,  composed  of  the  47th  and  48th 
New  York,  and  the  76th.  97th  and  203rd  Pennsylvania. 

On  the  28th  of  September  the  10th  corps  (General  D.  B.  Birney) 
marched    against  and   captui-ed   the  enemy's  fortifications  at  New 

381 


GALUSHA     PENNYPACKER. 

Market  Heights  ;  then  advanced  upon  his  stronger  works  on  Laurel 
Hill  (called  "  Fort  Gilmer,"  by  the  enemy),  and  made  a  desperate  but 
unsuccessful  attempt  to  cany  the  position.  Colonel  Pennypacker, 
leading  his  brigade  upon  the  right  of  the  column,  was  obliged  to 
pass  through  nearly  a  mile  of  "  slashing,"  having  a  horse  killed 
under  him,  and  was  painfully  wounded  on  the  ancle  by  a  piece  of 
shell,  but  remained  on  duty  during  the  action. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  with  his  brigade,  accompanied  Generals 
Terry  and  Kautz  upon  a  reconnoissance  to  within  two  miles  of  Rich- 
mond with  a  well-selected  force  of  infantry  and  cavalry  ;  the  advance 
being  well  planned,  and  conducted  with  celerity,  met  with  but  little 
resistance. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  he  commanded  his  brigade  in  the  action 
at  "  Darby  Town  Road,"  when  General  Bimey's  forces  checked  and 
routed  the  advance  of  Field's  and  Hoke's  divisions,  whose  impetu- 
ous assault  upon  their  position  was  designed  to  drive  the  Tenth  and 
Eighteenth  corps  from  the  north  side  of  James  River. 

On  the  29th  his  brigade,  with  the  Tenth  corps,  again  advanced 
toward  Richmond,  encountered  the  enemy  at  "  Darby  Town,"  when 
a  sharp  engagement  ensued,  the  enemy  being  driven  to  the  shelter 
of  his  stronger  works  near  Richmond. 

Tliis  movement  was  designed  as  a  feint  to  divert  the  attention  of 
the  enemy  from  the  '•  Army  of  the  Potomac,"  then  engaged  in 
action  at  "Hatcher's  Run." 

His  brigade  formed  a  part  of  the  force  of  sixty-five  hundred 
men,  with  which  General  Butler,  in  conjunction  with  Admiral  Por- 
ter, undertook  the  capture  of  "  Fort  Fisher,"  N.  C,  in  December. 
The  causes  leading  to  the  failure  of  that  expedition  it  is  not  the 
purpose  of  this  sketch  to  discuss.  Regarding  the  possession  of  that 
position  a  necessity,  and  within  the  ability  of  a  proper  force  to  ac- 
complish, General  Grant  sent  the  same  troops  under  the  command 
of  Bi-igadier-General  A.  H.  TeiTy,  with  an  addition  of  about  fifteen 
hundred  men,  to  renew  the  attempt  This  force,  on  the  6th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1865,  embarked  at  Fortress  Monroe,  Va.,  for  the  rendezvous, 
ofi"  Beaufort,  N.  C.  Owing  to  unpropitious  weather,  the  landing 
was  delayed  until  the  evening  of  the  12th,  when  General  Terry  suc- 
ceeded in  landing  his  entire  force  upon  the  narrow  peninsula  upon 
which  the  fort  was  built.  He  immediately  established  a  strong  line 
of  defence  against  any  force  that  might  threaten  his  rear. 

Under  cover  of  the  fire  from  the  fleet,  directed  by  Admiral  Por- 
ter, he  then  began  a  careful  approach  of  the  enemy's  works. 


GALUSHA     PENNYPACKER. 

General  A.  Ames'  division — consisting  of  General  Curtis',  Colo- 
nel Pennypacker's,  and  Colonel  Bell's  brigades — had  been  selected 
for  the  assault  Curtis'  brigade  was  first  advanced,  closely  supported 
by  Pennypacker's,  followed  by  Bell's. 

The  struggle  that  ensued  is  unsurpassed  in  the  display  of  heroic 
courage  and  persistence,  where  every  foot  of  advance  was  disputed 
by  valor  equal  in  determination  to  hold  its  ground  ;  the  fierceness  of 
the  contest  on  both  sides  contributing  to  render  the  action  one  of  the 
most  brilliant  of  the  war.  The  sacrifices  were  consequently  most 
fearful — each  brigade  commander  was  stricken  down  while  leading 
his  men  in  the  charge.  Curtis  severely  wounded ;  Pennypacker  it 
was  first  thought,  and  for  a  long  time  regarded  as  mortally  wounded. 
Bell  was  killed  during  the  action. 

From  General  Terry's  report  is  extracted  :  "  *  *  *  As  soon 
as  Curtis  got  a  foothold  on  the  parapet,  Ames  sent  Pennypacker  in 
to  his  support.  He  advanced,  overlapping  Curtis'  right,  and  drove 
the  enemy  from  the  heavy  palisading,  which  extended  from  the  west 
end  of  the  l,and  face  to  the  river,  capturing  a  number  of  prisoners. 
*  *  *  Hand-to-hand  figliting  of  the  most  desperate  character 
ensued,  the  huge  traverses  of  the  land  face  being  used  successively 
by  the  enemy  as  breastworks,  over  the  tops  of  which  the  contending 
parties  fired  into  each  other's  faces.  Nine  of  these  were  carried  one 
after  the  other  by  our  men.  *  *  *  i  ]iave  no  words  to  do  jus- 
tice to  the  behavior  of  both  officers  and  men.  *  *  *  Brigadier- 
General  Curtis,  and  Colonels  Pennypacker,  Bell  and  Abbott,  the  bri- 
gade commanders,  led  them  with  tlie  utmost  gallantry.  Curtis  was 
wounded  while  fighting  in  the  front  rank,  rifle  in  hand  ;  Penny- 
packer,  while  carrying  the  standard  of  one  of  his  regiments  (the  97th 
Pennsylvania),  the  first  man  in  a  charge  over  a  traverse.  Bell  was 
mortally  wounded  near  the  palisades." 

General  Ames,  in  his  report,  says  ;  "  *  *  *  Colonel  Galusha 
Pennypacker,  commanding  2nd  brigade,  was  severely  wounded  while 
planting  the  colors  of  his  leading  regiment  (the  97th  Pennsylvania) 
on  the  third  traverse  of  the  work.  This  oflicer  was  surpassed  by 
none.  His  absence  during  the  remainder  of  the  day  was  most  deeply 
felt,  and  seriously  regretted." 

Captain  George  R  Towle,  of  the  4th  New  Hampshire,  an  officer 
who  had  served  upon  the  staff  of  Colonel  H.  R  Guss,  writing  to 
that  officer  at  West  Chester,  Pa.,  says  :  ''  *  *  *  I  saw  him  (Pen- 
nypacker) brought  off  the  field  on  a  stretcher.     He  refused  to  leave 

363 


GALUSHA  PENNY  PACKER. 

the  field  until  he  had  seen  General  Terry.  I  told  the  general,  who 
went  to  see  him.  PennyiDacker  then  pointed  to  the  foremost  flag  oa 
the  traverses,  and  desired  the  general  to  take  notice — that  was  the 
flag  of  the  97th  Pennsylvania." 

Ills  injuries,  resulting  from  a  wound  through  the  I'ight  side  and 
hip  by  a  minuie  ball,  were  of  so  grave  a  character  that  for  a  long 
time  his  recoveiy  was  regarded  extremely  doubtful.  He  remained 
at  the  Chesapeake  Hospital,  at  Fortress  Monroe,  Va.,  unable  to  bear 
further  removal  until  November  following.  During  most  of  this 
period  his  sufferings  were  of  unremitting  and  intense  severity ;  yet 
he  bore  them  with  the  same  heroic  courage  and  endurance  that  char- 
acterized his  action  in  the  field. 

Immediately  after  the  action  at  Fort  Fisher,  Colonel  Pennypacker 
was,  by  order  of  President  Lincoln,  brevetted  Brigadier-General  of 
Yolunteers,  to  date  from  January  15th,  1865,  which  appointment 
was  immediately  confirmed  by  the  U.  S.  Senate.  He  was  soon 
afterwards  appointed  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers,  his  com- 
mission being  dated  February  18th,  1865.  This  appointment  was 
also  confirmed  by  the  Senate  of  the  United  States.  Upon  the 
recommendation  of  Major-General  A.  H.  Terry,  he  was  appointed 
by  the  President  Major-General,  by  brevet,  for  gallant  and  meritori- 
ous services  daring  the  war,  to  take  rank  from  March  13th,  1865. 
This  promotion  was  also  promptly  confirmed  by  the  United  States 
Senate.  To  him  belongs  the  distinguished  honor  of  having  been  the 
youngest  general  oflacer  in  the  United  States  army  during  the  war. 

Upon  his  return  to  his  home  at  West  Chester,  Pa.,  November 
15th,  1865,  he  was  met  at  the  suburbs  by  a  civic  and  military  pro- 
cession, escorted  by  the  people  through  the  streets  to  the  Court 
House,  and  there  publicly  received  in  an  address  of  welcome  by 
Hon.  William  Worthington  on  behalf  of  the  citizens,  which  was 
responded  to  by  Wilmer  Darlington,  Esq.,  at  the  request  of  the 
General,  whose  physical  condition  was  inadequate  to  give  proper 
expression  to  his  appreciation  of  the  unexpected  and  enthusiastic 
welcome  to  his  home. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  leave  of  absence,  being  incapable  of  fur- 
ther service,  he  tendered  his  resignation  to  the  War  Department.  It 
was  not  accepted,  and  a  further  leave  of  absence  granted ;  at  the 
expiration  of  which  he  again  tendered  his  resignation,  which  was 
finally  accepted  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  to  take  effect  on  the  30th 

of  April,  1866. 

364 


GALUSHA     PENNYPACKER. 

Upon  the  reorganization  of  the  regular  army,  at  the  close  of  tlie 
war,  Pennsylvania  became  entitled  in  the  distribution  of  offices  to 
one  colonelcy,  which  was  offered  to  General  Pennypacker.  The 
Board  of  Examiners  are  reported  to  have  received  explicit  directions 
concerning  any  difficulty  they  might  have  in  regard  to  his  physical 
condition  Irotn  Secretary  Stanton,  who,  to  use  the  language  of  'Gen- 
eral Harry  White,  ''loved  hin^"  On  the  1st  of  December,  1866, 
he  received  from  the  President  the  appointment  of  Colonel  34th 
Infantry  U.  S.  A.,  to  date  from  28th  of  July,  1866  ;  permission  being 
granted  by  the  War  Department  to  delay  joining  his  regiment  in 
order  to  have  the  benefit  of  further  surgical  and  medical  care,  and 
more  perfect  recovery  from  his  wounds.  Soon  after  his  appointment 
he  was  confirmed  by  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  as  Brevet  Brig 
adier-General  U.  S.  A.,  and  was  subsequently  confirmed  by  that 
body  as  Brevet  Major-General  U.  S.  A.,  to  rank  from  March  2nd, 
1867.  He  joined  his  regiment  about  the  20th  of  May,  1867,  it  being 
then  stationed  at  Grenada,  Miss.,  where  he  continued  in  command  of 
his  regiment,  and  at  times  in  command  of  the  Sub-District  of  Mis- 
sissippi, till  October,  1870  ;  and  also  as  a  member  of  the  "  Eetiring 
Board "  at  "  Fort  Leavenworth,"  Kansas.  Subsequently  in  com- 
mand at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  other  local- 
ities in  that  Department  from  time  to  time  as  the  service  required 
until  December  22nd,  1871,  when  he  received  a  leave  of  absence  of 
one  year,  with  permission  to  visit  Europe. 

Upon  the  reduction  of  the  army,  by  Act  of  Congress  in  March, 
1869,  the  84th  Infantry  was  discontinued  as  an  organization,  Colo- 
nel Pennypacker  being  assigned  to  the  16th  Infantry  U.  S.  A.,  and 
now  continues  to  hold  that  command,  being  the  youngest  colonel  in 
the  United  States  army. 

After  a  period  of  over  five  years'  continuous  sei-vice  in  the 
administration  of  affairs  in  a  community  disorganized  of  its  accus- 
tomed governmental  control,  where  diverse  and  conflicting  sentiment 
and  interest,  met  in  jealous  array,  tended  to  render  the  duties  of  a 
military  commander  both  arduous  and  delicate,  it  is  found  from 
the  testimony  of  all  parties  and  classes,  and  from  the  entire  local 
Southern  press,  that  the  impartial  directness,  and  even-handed  jus- 
tice, and  the  uniform  consideration  manifested  by  General  Penny, 
packer  toward  all,  in  both  official. and  social  intercoui-se,  have  secured 
for  him  a  popularity  and  regard  as  deserved  as  it  is  general. 

During  the  last  gubernatorial  canvass  in  Pennsylvania  in  1872, 

365 


GALUSHA     PENNYPACKER. 

General  Penaypacker's  name  was  prominently  presented  by  many 
of  the  most  influential  papers  in  the  State  for  nomination  as  a  can- 
didate for  that  high  office ;  and  was  most  favorably  considered  by 
those  who  sought  to  harmonize  conflicting  interests  between  promi- 
nent rival  aspirants  for  that  position,  by  suggesting  a  candidate  so 
distinguished  and  so  deservedly  popular  as  to  ensure  the  united  sup- 
port of  all  parties  and  classes.  To  his  friends  in  the  Convention, 
who  were  desirous  to  promote  his  nomination,  he  expressed  grateful 
appreciation  for  the  intended  honor,  which  he  respectfully  and  posi- 
tively declined  to  accept,  preferring  to  retain  his  present  position  in 
the  United  States  army.  His  name  was  therefore  withdrawn  from 
the  Convention  before  a  vote  was  taken.  In  case  of  his  nomination 
for  the  office  of  Governor  at  that  time,  his  age  was  barely  above 
the  Constitutional  limit 

The  year  of  his  leave  of  absence  was  mostly  spent  abroad,  visit- 
ing the  chief  places  of  interest  on  the  Continent,  being  everywhere 
received  with  distinguished  consideration  by  the  officials  of  those 
Governments  to  whom  he  had  letters  of  introduction,  from  officers 
of  the  Government,  and  of  the  army,  etc. 

Letters  were  sent  'to  him  from  the  Secretary  of  War,  desiring  him 
to  attend  and  observe  the  "  Manoeuvres  of  the  British  Army,"  about 
to  take  place ;  but  he  failed  to  receive  them  in  time  to  do  so,  owing 
to  his  having  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  American  Minister  at 
Berlin  (Hon.  Mr.  Baftcroft)  to  remain  and  participate  in  the  cere- 
monies attendant  upon  the  meeting  of  the  Emperors  of  Russia, 
Austria  and  Germany  at  Berlin,  where  he  was  received  with  great 
cordiality  and  attention  as  a  guest,  being  the  only  American  army 
officer  then  in  Berlin. 

His  modest  demeanor  everywhere  won  for  him  the  praises  of  the 
German  papers,  as  the  writer  has  had  frequent  opportunity  to  see ; 
the  German  people  generally  being  ardent  in  appreciation  of  such 
qualities  in  those  occupying  distinguished  positions,  whether  their 
own  countrymen  or  others — especially  Americans. 

General  Pennypacker's  command  (16th  Infantry  Regiment  U.  S. 
A.)  is  at  present  distributed  at  various  places  throughout  the  South- 
ern States,  with  headquarters  at  Nashville,  Tennessee. 

366 


EDWARDS   PIERREPONT. 

By  Gen.  J.  WATTS  De  PEYSTEE. 


"^  -.-r^yf;  3*V  N  this  country — through  pride  and  prejudice,  founded 


on  puerile  ignorance — hereditary  gifts  and  aristocracy, 
have  been  so  completely  confounded,  that  men  have 
forgotten  that  it  is  only  through  careful  breeding  and  pro- 
longed, as  well  as  the  nicest  culture,  that  we  enjoy  the  finest 
races  of  animal-,  the  choicest  fruits  and  the  most  exquisite 
flowers.  It  would  be  folly  to  think  that  the  same  rule  which  ap- 
plies to  the  lower  creation  has  no  corresponding  effect  upon  the  higher. 
Personal  and  mental,  physical  as  well  as  moral  qualities,  are  the  results 
of  family  connection  and  successive  generations  of  development  in 
respect  to  men  as  much  as  to  animals  destitute  of  reason,  as  to  the  fruits 
that  delight  the  palate,  or  to  the  flowers  that  adorn  the  boudoir  and 
banqueting  table.  Obseivation  and  perseverance,  labor  and  science, 
judicious  culture  or  cultivation,  and  centuries  of  progress,  have  con- 
verted almost  tasteless  bulbs  into  luscious  edibles.  The  stock  re- 
mains the  same,  but  how  vastly  different  the  product  It  needed  no 
Francis  Galton,  nor  his  careful  analysis  of  Hereditary  Genius  to  demon- 
strate such  a  fact.  Genius,  however,  properly  speaking,  is  a  personal 
oift,  and  shows  its  power  in  the  exaltation  of  a  rail-splitter  to  the  execu- 
tive chair ;  genius  a  meteor  rather  even  than  a  comet,  and  subject  to  no 
laws  which  science  has  ever  yet  been  able  to  determine.  Talent,  on 
the  contrary,  acknowledges  far  different  checks  and  regulations, 
or  advances.  Inherent  in  a  germ,  it  develops,  it  can  be  developed, 
it  grows  with  time  and  care.  It  is  the  offspring  of  the  past ;  the 
child  of  education  and  example,  fed  by  a  succession  of  lessons  through 
a  series  of  generations,  and  exhibits  the  effect  of  the  training  of  the 
blood  and  of  the  brain,  as  in  the  subject  of  the  following  sketch. 

The  Pierrepont  family  are  of  Norman  origin.  At  the  time  of  the 
Conquest,  Robert  de  Pierrepont  came  over  to  England  with  the  Con- 
queror.    The  family  name  was  Robert ;  Pierrepont  was  the  designa- 

307 


EDWARDS     PIERBEPONT. 

tion  or  title ;  the  head  of  the  familj-  taking  the  name  of  the  castle 
and  estates,  which  derived  their  name  from  a  stone-hridge — built  in 
Normandy  in  the  time  of  Charlemagne,  to  take  the  place  of  a  ferry — 
which  was  then  considered  a  great  work.  In  the  time  of  Edward  L, 
Sir  Henry  de  PieVrepont,  possessed  of  large  landed  estates,  married 
Annora  de  Manvers,  by  whom  he  acquired  the  Lordship  of  Holme, 
in  the  County  of  Nottingham,  now  called  Holme-Pierrepont. 

Sir  George  Pierrepont,  of  Holme-Pierrepont,  had  three  sons  :  from 
the  elder  was  descended  the  Earls  of  Kingston  ;  and  from  the  Earls, 
the  Dukes  of  Kingston.  Gervase,  the  second  son,  died  without  issue. 
The  younger  son,  William,  mamed  Elizabeth  Wortley,  by  whom  he 
had  one  son,  James,  of  London,  whose  eldest  son  John,  came  to  Rox- 
bury,  now  a  part  of  Boston,  and  his  eldest  son  was  Rev.  James 
Pierrepont,  of  New  Haven,  who  had  six  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters. Through  this  common  ancestor  the  families  of  Pierre- 
pont, Edwards,  and  Dwight,  are  connected.  Sarah,  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  James  Pierrepont,  was  married  to  the  eminent  divine. 
President  Jonathan  Edwards.  The  celebrated  Pierrepont  Edwards 
was  her  son.  Judge  Ogden  Edwards,  of  New  York,  and  Governor 
Henry  "W.  Edwards,  of  Connecticut,  were  her  grandsons.  The  late 
Henry  Pierrepont  Edwards,  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New 
York,  was  her  great-grandson.  Timothy  Dwight,  D.  D.,  so  long  the 
distinguished  President  of  Yale  College,  was  her  grandson,  and 
ftx>m  him  is  descended  Hon.  Theodore  W.  Dwight,  Professor  of  Law, 
in  the  city  of  New  York.  The  Hon.  Theodore  Dwight  Woolsey, 
late  the  learned  and  eminent  President  of  Yale  College,  is  directly 
descended  from  the  same  stock. 

Judge  Pierrepont,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  a  direct  descend- 
ant of  Joseph,  the  third  son  of  the  Rev.  James  Pierrepont.  William 
C.  Pierrepont,  of  Pierrepont  Manor,  and  Henry  E.  Pierrepont,  of 
Brooklyn,  are  direct  descendants  of  Hezekiah,  the  sixth  son  of  the 
Rev.  James  Pierrepont 

Judge  PieiTepont*  is  a  native  of  North  Haven,  in  Connecticut, 
and  was  graduated  at  Yale  College,  in  tlie  class  of  1837,  with  very 
high  honors.  His  legal  education  was  received  at  the  New  Haven 
Law  School,  of  which  Judge  Daggett  was  then  the  head ;  and  in 
1840  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.     In  1846  he  married  the  daughter 

*  Pierrepont  is  the  old  English  mode  of  spelling  the  name ;  in  this  country  many 
shortened  it  to  Pierponi :  the  original  and  correct  spelling  is  now  pretty  generally 
restored. 

308 


EDWARDS      PIERREPONT. 

of  Samuel  A.  Willoughby,  lier  mother  being  of  the  old  Dutch  famil  v 
of  de  Bevoise,  in  Brooklyn.  _  He  pursued  his  profession  with  great 
success  until  1857,  when  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court 
of  New  York,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Chief 
Justice  Oakley.  In  1860  he  resigned  his  seat  upon  the  bench  and 
resumed  the  practice  of  the  law,  and  has,  for  many  years,  been  one 
of  the  most  eminent  men  at  the  New  York  bar. 

Until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Great  American  Conflict  he  had 
always  been  a  Democrat,  but  from  the  first  he  took  an  active  part 
against,  the  Rebellion.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  Defense 
Committee,  and  a  zealous  supporter  of  the  administration  of  Mr. 
Lincoln.  In  1862  he  was  appointed  with  General  Dix,  to  try  the 
prisoners  of  state,  then  confined  in  the  various  prisons  and  forts  of 
the  Federal  government  In  1861  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  in 
organizing  the  War  Democrats  in  favor  of  the  re-election  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln.  In  1867  he  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  one  of  the  Judiciaiy  Commit- 
tee. In  the  spring  of  1867  he  was  employed  by  the  Attorney-General 
and  the  Secretary  of  State,  to  conduct  the  prosecution  on  the  part 
of  the  government  against  John  H.  Surrat,  indicted  for  aiding  in 
the  murder  of  President  Lincoln.  This  celebrated  trial  commenced 
before  the  United  States  District  Court  in  the  city  of  Washington 
on  the  10th  day  of  June^  and  lasted  until  the  10th  day  of  August, 
1867.  In  the  Presidential  contest  of  1868,  Judge  Pierrepont  was  an  ar- 
dent supporter  of  General  Grant,  making  very  large  contributions  in 
money,  and  effective  speeclies  upon  the  Republican  side. 

General  Grant  upon  his  accession  to  the  Presidency  in  1869  ap- 
pointed Judge  Pierrepont,  Attorney  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New  York,  which  office  he  resigned  in  July 
1870. 

The  character  of  Edwards  Pierrepont's  eloquence  needs  no  praise 
from  the  writer.  He  will  allow  the  man  to  speak  for  himself  as 
Judge,  Advocate  and  Patriot 

His  first  public  speech  which  attracted  attention  was  delivered. 
on  the  death  of  Theodore  Sedgewick,  about  a  year  and  a  half  before 
the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  in  which  Judge  Pierrepont  foreshadowed  the 
war.  The  following  extract  from  that  speech,  as  published  in  the 
Herald,  Dec.  15,  1859,  is  given  as  a  prediction  worthy  of  note  and  re- 
flection. After  a  review  of  the  dissatisfied  relations  between  North  and 
South  at  that  time,  he  said :   "  Sure  as  the  punishment  of  sin,  great 

369 


EDWARDS     PIERRE  PONT. 

troubles  are  coming  in  the  distance  which  we  shall  be  called  on  to 
meet  I  have  said  this  much,  Mr.  President,  being  well  aware  that  I 
speak  in  advance  of  the  times  ;  but  I  leave  the  times  to  overtake  these 
fleeting  words,  and  leave  the  wisdom  or  the  folly  of  what  I  have  said 
to  be  determined  by  the  years  which  shall  come  in  our  lifetime." 

When  Judge  Pierrepont  resigned  his  seat  upon  the  Bench,  in 
October,  1860,  he  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Governor,  which,  in  the 
light  of  recent  events,  is  the  more  remarkable.  We  extract  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"  The  more  intelligent  portion  of  our  citizens  give  the  subject  of 
their  government  no  united  attention  ;  they  are  intent  on  wealth ; 
madly  hastening  to  be  rich;  leaving  justice,  order,  and  government 
to  take  care  of  themselves,  or  to  be  cared  for  by  those  who  will 
trample  them  in  the  dust.  If  the  wise,  the  wealthy,  the  honest,  and 
the  intelligent  will  not  combine  for  good  government,  the  wicked, 
the  idle,  and  the  dishonest  will  combine  for  bad  government ;  and 
they  will  govern;  and  through  the  forms  of  law,  in  the  shape  of  tax- 
ation and  other  legalized  jobbery ;  they  will  strip  the  children  of  the 
industrious  rich  of  their  carefully  conserved  estates,  leaving  them  in 
poverty  the  more  hopeless  from  the  very  wealth  in  which  their  child- 
hood was  pampered.  Grovemment  will  be  administered  by  some- 
body, that  may  be  relied  upon.  K  the  wise  and  good  will  not  attend 
to  it,  fools  and  knaves  will.  If  our  rich,  intelligent,  and  honest  citi- 
zens think  these  things  of  no  moment,  they  will  let  them  alone,  as 
they  have  heretofore  <'one;  but  they  may  rely  upon  it,  these  things 
will  not  let  tliem  alone." 

Passing  over  an  interval  of  several  years,  we  come  to  the  1st  of 
Nov.,  1864,  when  Judge  Pierrepont  addressed  an  immense  meeting 
at  the  Cooper  Institute  in  favor  of  the  re-election  of  Mr.  Lincoln- 
In  this  speech  he  made  his  first  mark  as  a  statesman,  in  tlie  sense  of 
a  man  capable  of  successfully  grasping  the  political  question  of  the 
hour,  and  leading  the  cun-ent  of  public  opinion.  If  space  permitted, 
a  longer  extract  would  be  more  gratifying  to  the  reader,  but  we  must 
be  content  with  the  neat  epitome  of  McClellan,  a  man  at  that  time 
regarded  by  a  large  party  as  a  much  abused  hero  of  the  Napoleonic 
type: 

"  I  concede  to  General  McClellan  all  the  private  virtues ;  I  dare 
say  he  has  read  all  the  books  on  war ;  I  doubt  not  he  understands 
the  science  well.  He  certainly  7i:rites  excellently  about  it  *  *  * 
but  these  facts  prove  him  not  of  the  blood  of  a  Csesar,  Hannibal  or 

370 


EDWARDS     PIERREPONT. 

Napoleon-     He  was  not  made  to  rule  over  this  great  nation 

IN    THE    IRON    TIME    OF    WAR." 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1865,  just  before  the  final  campaign.  Judge 
Pierrepont  again  addressed  a  mass  meeting  in  Union  Square  upon 
the  state  of  the  war,  the  financial  condition  of  the  North,  and  its 
ability  to  continue  the  struggle  till  the  enemy  was  conquered  and  the 
Union  restored.  It  must  be  remembered  that  at  this  time  the 
"  croakers  "  and  "  trimmers  "  (patriot  Blucher's  "  Schielwippen  ")  were 
so  far  in  the  ascendant  that  Mr.  Lincoln  had  Ijeen  induced  to  treat 
with  the  enemy  at  the  famous  Hampton  Roads'  conference,  and  the 
war  was  too  generally  pronounced  by  feeble  knees  and  um-eflecting 
minds,  a  failure.  The  following  extract  is  again  selected  as  a  type 
of  this  patriotic  eflfort : 

"  Your  houses,  your  barns,  your  workshops,  your  fertile  fields, 
your  abundant  food,  your  busy  machinery,  your  crowded  railroads, 
your  luxurious  homes  and  costly  clothes,  they  surely  are  real.  There 
is  no  fancy  about  them — you  have  them,  and  in  the  whole  vast  North 
there  are  more  well  fed,  well  clad,  well  sheltered  men  than  when  the 
war  began,  and  fewer  in  the  extremes  of  want.  These  facts  cannot 
be  shoved  aside.  ******** 
It  is  a  question  of  arithmetic,  not  of  rhetoric.  *         *         * 

"  The  war  may  go  on  for  twenty  years,  and  it  will  no  more  impov- 
erish the  North  to  support  the  necessary  armies,  than  it  will  impov- 
ish  the  city  of  New  York  to  support  the  necessary  police." 

These  indeed  were  words  in  season. 

On  the  21st  of  October,  186S,  Judge  Pierrepont  spoke  once  more, 
and  to  a  great  assemblage  at  the  Cooper's  Institute,  in  favor  of  the 
election  of  Gen.  Grant.  The  sentiments  of  his  speech  were  empha- 
sized by  a  practical  proof,  appreciated  by  the  most  indifferent,  in  the 
shape  of  a  large  check  given  by  Judge  Pierrepont  to  the  Grant  Ke- 
publican  Committee  to  help  defray  the  expenses  of  an  election,  from 
which  his  vast  business  bore  most  efficient  witness  that  he  did  not 
expect  to  reap  any  reward  whatever  in  the  shape  of  office.  It  showed 
that  the  Judge  meant  every  word  he  said,  and  could  understand 
what  he  seems  best  to  comprehend,  the  logic  of  facts.  Indeed  this 
keen  scent  for  truth,  however  hidden,  is  one  of  the  most 
striking  characteristics  of  all  of  Judge  Pierrepont's  arguments, 
legal  and  political.  The  speech  itself  is  almost  unadorned  by 
rhetoric.     It  deals   with   FACTS,  and   its  convincing  character  was 

371 


EDWARDS      PIEKBEPOKT. 

proved  by  the  triumphant  election  of  Grant  to  the  Presidential  chair, 

We  cite  one  impressive  passage  from  this  speech : 

"  That  General  Grant  fairly  represents  the  patriot  sentiment  of  the  North,  no 
man  can  cVjnbt.  Prom  the  beginning  of  the  war  to  its  close,  he  was  at  his  post  of 
duty;  always  ready,  uncomplaining,  patient,  \'igilant  and  just;  trusting  in  God,  in 
a  righ  eous  cause,  and  iu  his  own  brave  men,  he  never  knew  a  failure.  Poor— with- 
out a  rich  fi'iend — with  no  reputation,  and  no  political  influence, — he  rose  to  the 
head  of  the  army,  conducted  the  greatest  war  in  the  annals  of  time  to  successful 
end,  aud  within  five  short  years,  from  his  humble  start,  his  was  the  foremost  name 
in  the  civilized  world. 

"His  di-'tractors  say  that  he  has  no  experience  in  affairs  of  State;  nor  had  he  ex- 
perience in  war  until  he  commenced  it.  It  is  also  said  that  his  success  in  war  was 
owing  to  good  fortune. 

■'  So  let  his  success  in  peace  be. 

' '  Good  fortune  is  a  powerful  goddess,  and  he  whom  she  favors  is  certain  of 
success. 

"Washington  was  first  a  great  General,  and  then  he  was  a  great  statesman. 

"  Grant  has  proved  himself  a  great  General;  and  the  same  high  gifts  of  firmness, 
determine'!  piu'pose,  unswerving  fidelity,  calmness  of  judgment,  justic3,  modera- 
tion and  wonderful  aptness  in  the  employment  of  the  ability  of  others,  added  to  a 
clear  common  sense,  approaching  to  genius,  assure  us  that  he  will  make  a  President 
whom  we  can  safely  trust. 

' '  Will  any  man  who  does  not  wish  the  Nation  humbled,  treason  honored,  and 
patriotism  insulted,  vote  against  Grant  ? 

"Consider  it  well, fellow-citizens, — vote  deliberately, — vote  conscientiously, — vote 
dowai  the  patriot, — vote  up  the  Rebel  if  you  will ! ! — vote  Grant  a  failure,  and  Lee 
the  Hero  of  the  War: — But, — before  you  thus  vote, — tear  down  these  mocking  monu- 
ments erected  to  your  patriot  dead;  demolish  every  memorial-stone  at  Gettysburg — • 
and  in  every  place  where  a  grateful  mttion  has  reared  a  soldier's  tomb! 

"  Level  three  hundred  thousand  little  hillocks,  under  which  sleep  three  hundred 
thousand  young  men  of  the  country  they  died  to  save;  the  grass  is  very  green,  so 
watered  by  mothers'  tears,  and  the  roses  bloom  well,  which  mourning  sisters  and 
bereaved  wives  have  planted  on  those  graves! — Trample  them  in  the  earth  —they  are 
all  a  mockery — the  sleepers  died  in  an  ignoble  cause,  and  well  deserved  their  doom 
— and  the  rotting  prisoners  of  the  Libby,  and  the  starving,  tortured  soldiers  at  An- 
dersonville,  had  but  their  just  deserts! 

"Vote  against  Grant;  and  when  you  see  the  Bebels,  all  red  with  the  blood  of  your 
mother.-j's  sons,  holding  high  revelry  in  the  Capitol — and  confusion,  dismay  and  an- 
arc'uy  in  the  land — go  tell  your  children: — We  voted  foe  that  !" 

Ill  Jane,  1868,  Judge  PiesTepont  made  a  public  speech  at  the 
banquet  given  to  Hon.  Anson  Burlingame  and  the  Chinese  Embassy. 
Even  as  the  key-note  of  the  Grant  speech  was  Fact,  even  so  the  key- 
note of  the  Burlingame  speech  may  be  said  to  have  been  Justice. 
Justice  to  all,  white,  black,  and  red,  native  and  foreign,  Irish  and 
Chinese.  He  reviewed  the  discriminating  labor  and  emigration  laws 
ot  California  against  the  last  class,  comparing  them  with  the  old  time 
laws  against  the  Irish  emigrant,  the  flillacy  of  the  doctrine  about 
cheap  labor  injuring  the  native  mechanic.  And  in  summing  up  he 
makes  the  remarkable  prophecy,  fiist hastening  to  fulfillment;  "Chi- 
nese and  American  labor  combined,  will  soon  make  gold  and  silver 
the  currency  of  this  country,  in  spite  of  bad  management,  and  without 
repudiation  of  a  dollar  of  our  debt" 

In  June,  1871,  Judge  Pierrepont  delivered  a  very  remarkable 


EDWARDS     PIERKEPONT. 

speech  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  city  of  Washington,  before 
the  Law-School,  to  the  graduating  class  and  an  immense  audience  of 
critics.     Such  words  as  his  need  no  comment : 

"  Neither  inhej-ited  wealth  nor  hereditary  name  will  give  you 
position  in  the  law ;  you  must  rely  on  your  own  individual  merits. 
The  young  man  who  wraps  himself  complacently  in  the  mantle  of 
his  sire,  whether  of  cloth-ofgold,  or  of  laurel  leaf,  had  better  choose 
some  other  path  to  honor  than  the  legal  road.  *  *  *  * 
»  *  *  »  You  will  gain  all  that  you  desei-ve ;  settle  this 
at  the  outset.  It  is  an  unerring  law :  it  is  a  law  of  God.  *  * 
*  *  *  Never  murmur  that  you  are  not  appreciated.  You 
will  be  fairly  valued,  and  rest  assured  that  'the  fault  is  not  in  our 
stars,  but  in  ourselves,  if  we  are  underlings.'  No  man  ivithout  an 
uprigld  mind,  and  no  jnan  tvho  has  not  2}reserved  his  integrity,  has  ever 
died  leaving  the  reputation  of  a  great  lawyer." 

Judge  Pierrepont's  latest  appearance  in  public  life  was  on  the 
side  where  he  might  be  expected  to  be  found  from  the  words  last 
quoted  in  his  advice  to  the  young  lawyers — the  side  of  integrity 
and  HONESTY. 

As  a  prominent  member  of  the  famous  Committee  of  Seventy,  he 
helped  to  settle  the  great  question  of  all  good  government,  past  and 
present,  Shall  corruption  go  unpunished.  The  success  of  this 
movement  is  too  well  known  to  require  comment  here.  Enough  to 
say,  It  succeeded. 

That  the  Judge  is  not  a  mere  political  partisan,  finding  out  abuses 
only  in  the  ranks  of  his  enemies,  is  evidenced  by  his  noted  contro- 
versy with  an  extremely  prominent  Republican  politician,  and  pow- 
erful adversary.  A  brief  allusion  to  his  celebrated  letter  to  the 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  the  memorable  Butler 
Gold  Case,  must  end  our  remarks  on  the  Judge's  characteristics  as  a 
lawyer  and  logical  debater. 

The  series  of  letters  in  which  Judge  Pierrepont  followed  up  the 
subtle  arguments  of  his  skillful  opponent,  exposing  in  the  politest 
manner,  but  with  the  same  pitiless  accuracy,  the  General's  mistakes, 
are  models  of  the  power  of  logic,  and  of  the  Judge's  wonderful  ability 
in  presenting  admitted  facts  in  the  most  telling  way.  It  is  almost 
incredible  how  much  deductions  fi'om  the  same  facts  may  be  made 
to  differ  by  the  mode  of  presentment. 

Alone  and  unaided,  the  lawyer  commenced  upon  the  General, 
tlien  in  the  flush  of  despotic  power,  and  forced  him  to  pay  over  the 

373 


EDWARDS     PIERREPONT. 

money  which  lie  had  seized  to  the  real  owners.  The  force  of  this 
noted  argument  lay  in  one  thing,  and  one  tiling  only,  the  logic  of 
FACTS.  It  is  to  this  logic  that  Judge  Pierrepont  owes  all  his  forensic 
triumphs  and  political  successes. 

Judge  Pierrepont  has  unrivalled  skill  in  the  cross-examination 
of  witnesses,  and  in  an-auging  his  facts  so  that  one  seems  to  grow 
out  of  the  other  in  such  logical  sequence,  that  when  the  statement  is 
made  the  argument  is  concluded. 

His  remarkable  power  in  the  lucid  statement  of  facts  and  of  ad- 
hering to  them  under  every  difficulty  and  counter  influence  consti- 
tute the  charm  and  force  of  his  advocacy.  To  an  unprejudiced  mind 
he  generally  conveys  his  own  convictions,  because  they  are  convic- 
tions founded  on  trutli.  And  all  this  he  has  secured,  simply  by  fol- 
lowing his  own  maxim  that,  "  no  man  without  an  upright  mind,  and 
no  man  who  has  not  preserved  his  integrity,  has  ever  died  leaving 
the  reputation  of  a  g7-eat  lawyer." 

When  Judge  Pierrepont  is  lost  to  the  society  he  graces,  and  the 
profession  to  which  he  does  such  honor;  he  will  leave  behind  him  a 
reputation  of  what  is  greater  than  that  of  a  great  lawyer,  that  accorded 
to  the  great  Athenian,  of  "the  JUST." 

Perhaps  the  secret  of  his  fearless  course,  and  cool  and  even  tern 
per  which  nothing  disturbs,  was  unconsciously  revealed  by  Judge 
PieiTepont  in  the  closing  paragraph  of  the  address  to  the  law-students 
at  Washington  already  mentioned. 

"  A  few  words  more  and  I  have  done.  To  those  who  can  receive 
them,  they  are  more  important  than  all  that  I  have  said  or  can  say. 
They  will  tell  you  the  best  way  through  the  perplexing  affairs  of  this 
life;  give  a  calmness  to  the  judgment,  a  cheerfulness  to  the  spirit, 
and  an  even  temper ;  a  courage,  serenely  lifted  above  all  passions, 
and  which  nothing  can  daunt ;  they  will  help  to  lighten  every  disap- 
pointment, render  duty  pleasant,  and  make  you  satisfied  with  your 
lot ;  and  year  by  year,  you  may  grow  stronger,  wiser,  and  more 
happy.  This  may  come,  this  ivill  come,  to  him  who  with  an  earnest 
wish,  seeks  only  the  right,  and  in  every  trouble,  in  every  joy,  in 
every  important  undertaking  in  life,  and  eveiy  day,  with  honest 
heart  and  willing  mind,  asks  enlightenment  and  guidance  from  the 
Great  Lawgiver,  our  Father  in  Heaven." 

In  the  Presidential  contest  of  1872,  between  General  Grant  and 

Ml'.  Greeley,  Judge  Pierrepont  made  many  political  speeches  in  New 

York  and  Pennsylvania  upon  the  side  of  General  Grant     The  fol- 

374 


KDWARD8     PIEBREPONT. 

lowing  is  from  a  speech  delivered  at  the  Cooper  Institute,  Sept  25th, 
1872: 

'■  Fellow-citizena,  let  me  read  a  page  of  our  past  history.  As  early  as  1818  the 
South  proposed  to  allow  the  Territory  of  Missouri  to  become  a  State.  The  North 
opposed  this  proposition  unless  slavery  were  excluded.  Maine  was  not  then  admit- 
ted to  the  Union,  and  the  advocates  of  slavery  were  determined  that  Maine  should 
not  be  admitted  without  slavery  unless  Missouri  was  at  the  same  time  admitted  with 
it.  In  1820  a  compromise  was  effected,  and  the  bill  which  allowed  Missouri  to  come 
in  with  slavery,  provided  that  human  bondage  should  forever  thereafter  be  excluded 
from  all  territory  north  of  the  parallel  36°  30 ',  which  was  the  southern  boundary  of 
of  Missouri.  This  solemn  compact,  which  the  trusting  North  believed  to  be  '  for- 
ever, '  as  it  expressly  promised,  was  trampled  down  in  1854,  at  the  behest  of  the 
South;  and  then,  for  the  first  time,  the  North  awoke  to  the  fact  that  slaveholders 
kept  no  faith,  but,  corrupting  one  Northern  man  after  another,  by  seductive  prom- 
ises of  the  Presidency,  they  grew  emboldened  and  threw  off  disguises,  violated  every 
pledge,  and  trampled  down  justice  and  humanity,  with  shameless  perfidy  repealed 
the  sacred  compact,  and  set  up  the;  heUish  fiend  of  slavery  to  be  a  worshipped  god 
throughout  this  land  of  freedom  ! 

But  that  was  not  enough.  The  worshipers  of  this  demon  saw  that  martyr-fires 
were  burning  in  the  North,  and  that  from  their  ashes  dangerous  converts  to  freedom 
were  springing  fast,  and  the  devotees  of  the  "peculiar  institution  "  plotted  the  over- 
throw of  our  government  to  preserve  this  great  abomination.  Democratic  Conven- 
tions, the  Peace  Congress,  Union-saving  speeches  of  timid  old  politicians,  the  pros- 
tration of  Northern  divines,  citing  texts  from  Holy  Writ,  and  trying  with  Heaven's 
livery  to  conceal  their  devil-worship,  were  aU  of  no  avaiL  The  Union  must  be  rent, 
the  old  flag  insulted,  and  war,  with  its  unnumbered  woes,  must  come.  You  know 
the  rest.  Weeks,  months  and  years  passed  onjn  war.  Save  to  the  eye  of  faith  and 
to  the  heart  trusting  in  a  righteous  God,  success  seemed  doubtful.  Mr.  Greeley 
wanted  to  let  the  rebels  go;  and  novr,  in  turn,  the  rebels  want  to  make  Mr.  Greeley 
President  of  the  United  States. 

We  will  consider  the  fitness  of  Gen.  Grant  and  Horace  Greeley  for  the  great  oflBce. 
I  know  them  both  pretty  weU;  I  shall  try  to  present  them  to  you  fairly.  Remember 
that  it  is  the  chief  ruler  of  a  great  people,  after  a  great  civil  war,  whom  you  are 
about  to  select.  The  abilities  which  we  seek  are  those  of  a  great  governor;  not  those 
of  an  artist,  a  poet  or  man  of  letters.  Men  of  science,  writers,  orators  and  literary 
men,  from  Cicero  to  Lamartine,  have  always  faOed  as  rulers  of  the  State.  No  man 
of  sense  believes  that  Juvenal,  Raphael,  Shakespeare,  Milton,  Newton  or  La  Place 
could  ever  have  governed  the  nations  whose  history  they  adorned;  whereas,  Julius 
CfBsar,  Charlemagne,  Frederick  the  Great,  Napoleon,  William  of  Orange,  and  more 
than  all,  the  great  Cromwell,  were  able  rulers,  each  of  whom  was  first  a  great  soldier, 
and  then  a  statesman  of  imperishable  fame.  Come  down  in  history  to  our  owi;  coun- 
try.   Our  first  great  ruler  was  the  immortal  Washington,  the  great  Captain  of  his 

age. 

The  next  marked  ruler  was  Gen.  Jackson,  whose  military  fame  preceded  his 
civil  reputation.  The  greatest  rulers  in  every  age  have  been  the  greatest  soldiers  of 
their  time.  Painters,  sculptors,  scholars,  writers  and  journalists  of  other  men's 
deeds,  have  always  failed  at  the  helm  of  State.  They  have  not  that  combination  of 
faculties  and  of  will  which  the  position  requires.  Upon  this  subject  the  instincts  of 
mankind  have  generally  guided  them  aright.     Horace  Greeley  is  a  man  of  eminent 

37.5 


EDWARDS     PIEBREPONT. 

abilities,  but  as  unsuited  to  the  Presidential  office  as  was  the  poet  Horace  for  an 
Emperor  of  Rome. 

Rosa  Bonheur  can  paint  a  horse  better   than  any   living  artist,  but  she  can't 
shoe  one. 

I  would  not  detract  from  Mr.  Greeley's  justly-earned  reputation — he  has  immense 
industry  and  a  powerful  pen  which  he  has  always  used  on  the  side  of  humanity.  He 
is  a  true  hater  of  oppression  and  of  privileged  classes— very  placable  and  of  kindly 
nature.  In  money  matters,  honey t;  in  politics,  more  far-sighted  than  is  generally 
supposed,  and  shrewd  even  to  cunning;  with  large  love  of  approbation,  the  spring 
of  his  great  ambition.  Able  as  a  journidist,  vigorous  as  a  writer,  and  always  in 
sympathy  with  liberal  principles;  he  never  keeps  an  even  course,  and  ofteu  startles 
his  friends  by  crotchets  the  more  dangerous  because  sincere.  He  is  liable  to  influ- 
ences of  whose  evil  he  is  not  conscious.  His  best  friends  would  never  select  him  to 
lead  an  army,  to  preside  over  a  turbulent  assembly,  to  control  a  bank  or  run  a  rail- 
road. He  Las  never  shown  any  of  the  qualities  of  a  great  leader,  and  we  havS  no 
right  to  suppose  that  he  can  now  make  an  able  ruler  over  a  great  nation.  •  *  • 
■"  *  •  I  shall  not  be  found  abusing  Mr.  Greeley;  I  venerate  the  much  good  he  has 
done;  in  a  few  short  weeks  no  living  man  will  excite  so  much  of  our  condolence. 

Gen.  Grant,  for  the  public,  never  talks  or  writes  or  speaks ;  he  is  inarticulate — 
silent.  He  does  not  impress  men  generally.  He  seems  inert,  and  in  mixed  society 
draws  into  his  shell.  To  this  nation  of  ceaseless  talkers  he  seems  a  kind  of  Sphynx. 
But  he  has  done  some  things.  He  is  younger  than  Horace  Greeley  by  more  than 
eleven  years;  he  has  done  things  for  this  people  which  Horace  Greeley  could  not 
do — which  no  other  man  could  do. 

The  danger  is  over  now,  and  almost  forgot;  but  there  was  a  time,  a  gloomy  time, 
when  this  nation's  life  was  in  peril;  when  ten  thousand  Horace  Greeley s  could  not 
save  it,  and  Gen.  Grant  did.  We  tried  many  other  Generals,  aU  well  placed  in  the 
social  scale,  supported  by  all  the  upper  intluences  in  the  land;  all  failed..  An  obscure 
man  from  Galena,  poor,  ot  no  reputation  or  family  influe:!ce,  led  the  Union  armies 
from  victory  to  victory,  and  never  faiUd;  and  when  the  sword  of  Lee  was  surrendered 
to  his  younger  victor,  the  nation  offered  up  heartfelt  thanksgivings  to  God,  and 
Grant  was  almost  worshiped  as  the  savior  of  oiu-  libertits!  Are  you  going  to  crucify 
him  now? 

Can  you  tell  me  why  this  great  eflort  to  drive  him  from  the  oflBce  which  he  has 
so  worthily  filled  ?     I  think  I  can  teU. 

General  Grant  had  proved  himself  so  great  a  man  that  the  nation  expected  too 
much— more  than  was  reasonable;  they  expected  perfection,  and  would  tolerate  noth- 
ing less  in  their  idol:  and,  true  to  our  English  blood,  we  began  to  think  that  he  had 
been  overpraised— a  crime  which  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  never  allows  to  go  unpun- 
ished. Jealousy  of  his  position;  jealousy  which  plays  so  vile  a  part  in  public  affairs, 
came  in,  and  vague  distrust,  fomented  by  envy  and  disappointment,  and  rebel  hate 
of  him  who  crushed  their  treason,  all  joined  in  general  plan  to  oust  the  President 
from  his  seat,  and  out  ot  the  grand  jumble  came  a  result,  unexpected,  unwished, 
and  which  amazed  every  leader  of  the  movement,  and  for  a  time  paralyzed  their 
action.  They  had  sown  the  wind,  they  did  not  expect  the  whirlwind  would  force 
Horace  Greeley  upon  thtm ;  and  when  the  clouds  cleared  away  and  they  saw  that 
ghost  appear,  they  stared  aghast,  like  the  murderous  Thane  at  the  ghost  of  Banquo! 
The  great  God  has  his  own  mysterious  way  to  bring  about  results;  through  fiery 
trials  He  sends  all  men  destined  for  exalted  deeds.     Grant  is  as  siue  to  be  the  next 

37« 


EDWARDS     PIERREPONT. 

President  as  is  the  continued  motion  of  the  planetary  spheres;  and  the  terrible  or- 
deal through  which  he  is  to  pass  presages  great  events  in  the  next  five  j'ears.  When 
the  people  have  seen  him  walk  through  the  fires  and  come  out  with  his  mantle  un- 
singed  they  will  reproach  themselves  for  the  cruelties  which  they  have  allowed  him 
to  suffer;  but  he  wiU  be  purified  and  strengthened  for  the  great  work  which  lies  be- 
fore him." 

In  an  address  delivered  at  Ithaca,  on  the  11th  of  October,  1872, 
alluding  to  the  speech  of  Daniel  Webster  on  the  Fugitive  Slave 
Law  of  March  7th,  1850,  he  said : 

"  But  the  Convention  is  hard  by,  and  in  June,  1852  it  met.  They  balloted  many 
times;  and  how  many  Southern  votes  did  Mr.  Webster  get? — Not  a  vote!  Two 
known  and  trusted  slaveholders  had  their  votes. 

A  Virginian  was  nominated  for  President,  and  a  North-Carolinian  for  Vice-Presi- 
dent.    But  Webster  had  not  one  Southern  vote— not  one. 

He  did  not  wait  for  the  election,  but  went  home  to  die. 

At  Marshfield,  beside  the  sounding  sea,  he  looked  through  those  solemn  eyes  out 
upon  the  vast  ocean:— all  was  gloom;  he  looked  within;  and  memories  of  his  young 
days  upon  New  Hampshire's  hills  came  back;  his  early  trust,  his  honest  youth,  his 
religious  teachings,  his  manly  faith  in  God  and  truth,  the  faces  he  had  loved,  the 
numbers  in  his  adopted  State  who  had  trusted  him  almost  as  a  savior,  and  given 
their  consciences  to  his  keeping;  and  now  they  loved  him  sadly,  but  trusted  him  no 
more — the  panorama  of  his  whole  life  unrolled,  and  he  saw  it  all — his  great  heart 
turned  within  him,  and  of  no  disease  he  died.  There  prone  he  lay, — the  grandest, 
saddest  wreck  that  ever  stranded  on  ambition's  shore. 

377 


RIDGLEY   C.   POWERS, 


GOVEKIVOR    OF    MISSISSIPPI. 


By  Wm.  M.  COMPTON. 


liS':  EW  names  are  to  be  found  in  the  catalogue  of  those 
V  who  have  made,  and  are  now  making  their  marks 
^'°  upon  tlie  page  of  American  history,  that  present 
more  claims  to  honoi-able  mention,  and  oft'er  to  the  yoath 
of  our  country,  a  more  meritorious  example,  than  that  of 
the  young  man  whose  name  and  official  position  stands  at  the 
head  of  this  page. 
Ridgley  Ceylon  Powers  was  born  in  Mecca,  TrmnbiTll  County, 
Oliio,  on  the  24th  day  of  December,  1836,  and  is,  consequently, 
thirty-six  years  of  age.  He  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  and  dui'ing 
his  boyhood  had  such  educational  advantages  as  were  afforded  by  the 
common  schools  of  the  section  at  that  period.  At  the  age  of  sixteen, 
he  entered  the  "Western  Reserve  Seminary,  located  at  Farming- 
ton,  and  at  once  took  high  rank  in  all  his  classes.  He  became 
much  interested  in  the  polemics  of  the  institution — was  an  adroit 
debater,  and  was  always  assigned  to  a  prominent  and  leading  part  in 
all  the  public  exercises  of  the  Seminary. 

After  taking  the  usual  academical  course,  his  ambition  pointed 
to  a  thorough  Collegiate  education,  and,  in  a  spirit  of  manly  indepen- 
dence, he  detemriined  to  rely  upon  his  own  resources  for  the  means 
of  accomplishing  it.  Accordingly,  without  returning  to  his  home,  in 
September,  1857,  he  went  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  where  he  passed 
a  most  rigid  and  critical  teachers'  examination  before  the  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools,  and  proceeded  thence  to  Loami,  where  he 
remained  two  years  as  principal  preceptor  in  the  village  school. 
How  many  of  our  leading  men  have  commenced  the  career  of  life 
as  teachers  of  primary  schools !  He  was  chosen  President  of  the 
tirst  Teachers'  Institute  established  in  Sangamon  County,  at  Chat- 

379 


RIDGLEY     C.      POWERS. 

ham,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  tlie  most  successful  teachers  in  tliat 
section  of  the  State. 

In  October,  1859,  he  entered  the  University  of  Michigan,  and, 
before  the  close  of  the  year,  was  admitted  into  full  fellowship  with 
the  Sophomore  class.  At  the  outset  of  his  Collegiate  course,  he 
announced  an  uncompromising  hostility  to  Secret  Societies,  which  at 
that  time  prevailed  at  the  institution,  and  for  a  time  he  was  engaged 
in  a  fierce  conflict  with  the  members  of  them.  During  his  Junior 
and  Senior  years,  he  published  a  journal  in  opposition  to  these 
organizations,  and  in  the  end  achieved  a  triumph  which  was  very 
creditable  to  him.  His  prominence  and  activity  in  crushing  out 
what  he  regarded  as  an  evil,  brought  him  forward  in  literary  circles, 
and  he  was  honored  with  the  Presidency  of  the  principal  Literary 
Society  (the  Literary  Adelphi)  of  the  University.  So  intense,  how- 
ever, was  the  feeling  engendered  by  this  war  against  secret  societies, 
and  so  earnest  was  his  opposition  to  them,  that  in  the  course  of  the 
conflict,  he  had  an  unfortunate  disagreement  with  one  of  the  Profes- 
sors (Brooks),  whose  favor  and  influence  had  been  extended  to  the 
societies,  that  ended  in  an  open  rupture.  Feeling  that  he  was  right, 
and  too  proud  to  yield  to  what  he  regarded  as  a  wrong,  the  imperious 
ydung  student  declined  to  receive  a  degree  at  his  hands,  and,  refusing 
to  graduate,  left  the  College. 

But,  receiving  at  the  hands  of  the  Chancellor  (Tappan),  for 
whom  he  entertained  a  strong  personal  attachment,  the  most  compli- 
mentary letters  of  introduction  and  recommendation,  he  was  soon 
after  admitted  into  full  rank  with  the  Senior  Class  at  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  New  York.  He  remained  until  the  annual  commence- 
ment in  July,  1862,  when  he  received  his  diploma  with  the  highest 
honors.  The  "Blatchford  Oratorical  Gold  Medal"  was  awarded  hkn 
on  that  occasion,  for  having  written  and  delivered  the  best  oration. 
The  reception  of  this  token  of  his  triumph  from  the  hands  of  the 
venerable  President  Nott,  was  a  touching  ceremony,  and  is  even  now 
looked  back  to  as  one  of  the  proudest  periods  of  his  life. 

After  making  a  brief  visit  to  his  parents  at  home,  he  saw  that  his 
country  required  his  services;  and  whatever  field  of  ambition  may 
have  invited  him  as  he  straggled  through  his  College  Cumculum, 
the  only  one  that  now  opened  to  the  young  graduate  was  a  field  of 
blood.  Whatever  may  have  been  his  views,  as  to  the  causes  which 
produced  a  war  between  the  North  and  the  South,  or  whether,,  as  a 
College  student,  he  had  any  very  well  defined  opinions  on  the  sub- 

380 


RIDGLEY     C.     POWERS. 

ject,  was  not  then  a  question  of  importance.  The  fight  was  up,  and, 
in  a  spirit  of  genuine  patriotism,  he  offered  his  services  to  his  country 
in  the  capacity  of  a  private  soldier  in  the  ranks  of  the  125th  Ohio 
infantry,  and  thus  cast  his  fortunes  with  those  who  fought  for  the 
Union.  He  was  soon  appointed  a  Sergeant,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  he  had  an  opportunity  to  "flesh  his  maiden  sword,"  and  to 
test  the  quality  of  the  metal  whereof  it  was  made.  His  military 
record  was  no  less  creditiible  to  him  as  a  soldier,  than  his  literary 
course  had  been  as  a  scholar.  Plunging  at  once  into  the  most  active 
service,  the  foot-prints  he  left  in  the  weary  tramp  of  war,  are  side  bj' 
side  with  those  who  were  ever  found  in  the  foremost  rank,  where 
brave  deeds  were  enacted,  and  where  danger  presented  its  most 
horrid  front  A  full  history  of  Powers  as  a  soldier  would  require 
the  details  of  no  less  than  thhteen  regular  battles,  and  more  than 
one  hundred  skirmishes !  In  the  course  of  two  years  he  had  risen 
through  all  the  intermediate  gi-ades  to  the  position  of  Captain.  His 
intelligence  and  thorough  education,  combined  with  all  the  qualities 
of  heroism,  fitted  him  well  for  the  companionship  of  a  Commander — 
indeed,  for  the  position  of  a  Commander  itself— and  he  was,  there- 
tore,  detailed  for  staff  duty,  as  Assistant  Adjutant-General  to  Gen. 
Opdycke. 

He  served  through  all  the  campaigns  of  the  army  of  the  Cumber- 
land, to  the  close  of  the  war.  He  declined  promotion  in  a  new 
regiment,  which  was  tendered  him  in  1864,  by  the  Governor  of  Ohio, 
preferring  an  inferior  position  among  veteran  troops  at  the  iront.  He 
was  twice  promoted  by  brevet,  for  conspicuous  bravery,  and  gallant 
conduct  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy ;  and  \v\s  mentioned  in  terms 
of  the  highest  commendation  in  General  Orders,  for  his  chivalrous 
bearing  and  heroic  conduct  at  the  crowning  battles  of  the  war — • 
Franklin  and  Nashville. 

He  was  devoted  in  his  attachment  to  Gen.  Opdycke  and  to  Gen, 
Geo.  H.  Thomas.  They  were  not  only  fellow  soldiers,  serving  imder 
the  same  flag,  marching  to  battle  under  the  same  colors,  and  keeping 
step  to  the  same  music,  but  they  were  friends  in  the  full  sense  of  that 
term :  and  to-day  he  holds  as  among  the  most  highly  prized  relics 
of  the  war,  their  personal  letters  of  commendation  and  regard.  Per- 
haps the  writer  of  this  cannot  do  fuller  j  ustice  to  two  soldiers  than  by 
transcribing  here  the  frank,  candid  letter  of  the  one,  addressed  to  the 
other,  after  their  eventful  campaigns  were  over,  and  when  the  army 

381 


RIDGLET     C.      POWERS. 

with  which  they  had  served  so  long  and  so  well  was  about  to  be 

disbanded : 

"  Heabquabtees  1st  Bbig.,  2d  Dit.  4th  A.  C, 
CAiip  Habkeb,   Naseville,   Tenn., 

June  6,  1865. 

"My  Deae  Cvptain. — I  am  unwilling  to  retire  from  the  Army  without   giving 
your  military  record  and  my  warmest  commendations. 

"  You  came  from  college  where  you  had  taken  the  honors  of  your  class,  and  en- 
listed in  my  regiment,  the  125th  Infantry,  lor  three  years  or  during  the  war,  Sept. 
20,  1862  ;  was  appointed  Second  Lieutenant  Oct.  17,  1862,  and  mufetered  in  Com- 
pany C  on  the  31st  of  the  same  month.  Promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  and  mus- 
tered in  the  same  company  in  May,  1863.  Appointed  Adjutant  and  transferred  to 
the  field  and  staff  in  January,  1864.  Promoted  to  the  grade  of  Captain  and  mus- 
tered in  Company  B,  July,  1864,  and  in  September  of  that  year  you  were  detailed  as 
Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General  of  this  brigade,  a  position  you  have  fiUed  to  the 
present  time  with  emment  ability  and  zeal.  In  the  renowned  battle  of  Missionary 
Eidge,  Not.  25,  1863,  you  were  a  gallant  participant.  At  Dandridge,  among  the 
mountains  of  East  Tennessee,  where  your  regiment  lost  heavily  in  maintahiing  the 
honor  of  its  flag,  your  gallant  daring  was  conspicuous.  In  the  furious  assault  upon 
Bocky  I'ace  Mountain,  Georgia,  May  8th  and  9th,  1864,  your  cool  courage  and  true 
judgment  attracted  the  favorable  notice  of  your  superiors,  and  you  were  compU- 
mented  in  official  reports.  You  served  with  marked  ability  and  courage  aU  through 
the  long  campaign  of  Atlanta  ;  and  in  the  great  battles  and  crowning  victories  of 
FrankUn,  Tenn.,  Nov.  30th,  and  Nashville,  Dec.  15th  and  16th,  1864.  Your  heroic  be- 
ha\-ior  gave  you  a  complimentary  place  in  the  official  reports  of  your  Brigade  Com- 
mander. 

"You  have  been  strongly  recommended  to  the  Governor  of  Ohio  for  promotion 
to  the  grade  of  Colonel,  for  meritorious  ser-vice,  and  for  eminent  fitness  in  every 
respect. 

"You  have  been  recommended  for  appointment  in  the  Regular  Army  of  the 
United  States,  and  to  the  President,  for  promotion  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  by  brevet, 
for  gallant  and  meritorious  service  in  battle.  You  have  served  constantly  under  my 
own  personal  observation,  and  your  entire  bebavior,  as  a  gentleman  of  firm  prin- 
ciples and  sterling  worth,  and  your  heroic  and  useful  course  as  an  officer,  have  my 
warmest  approbation  and  admiration. 

"  May  your  life  in  the  future  be  as  honorable  and  useful  as  it  has  been  in  the 
pastj  and  the  country  will  not  fail  to  hail  you  with  delight. 

Very  truly  yours, 
(Signed)  Emekson  Opdtcke, 

Brevet  Brig. -Gen.  Vols.,  Commanding. 
Capt.  E.  C.  PowEES,  A.  A,  A.  G.  1st  Brig.,  2d  Div.,  4th  A.  C." 

This  letter,  so  full  of  compliment  to  the  young  officer,  received 
the  following  endorsements  on  its  upward  march  through  the  vari- 
ous offices : 

" Headquaeeees  2d  Drv.,  4th  A.  C,  | 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  June  6,  1865.       ( 
"From  my  knowledge  of  this  officer,  I  concur  in  the  opinion  expressed  by  Gen. 

Opdvcke. 

"(Signed)  W.  L.  Elliott, 

Brevet  Major-Gen,  Commanding." 
382 


RIDGLEY     C.      POWERS. 

"  Headquaeteks  4th  Army  Coups,  I 
Camp  Harkee,  June  7,  1865.      j 
"Gen.  Opdycke  pays  Capt.  Powers  some  well-deserved  compliments.    I  fully  en- 
dorse Ma  sentiments  in  regard  to  this  worthy  officer. 

(Signed)  D.  L.  Stastlet,  Major  General. " 

"  Headquabteks  Militaet  Di\tsion  of  Southwest,  | 
New  Orleans,  July  4,  18G5.      j 
"I  fally  concur  in  the  endorsements  of  Gens.  Stanley  and  Elliott,  and  think  that 
a  brevet  promotion  to  an  additional  grade  would  be  a  just  tribute  for  faithful  ser- 
vices. 

(Signed)  P.  H.  Sheridan,  Major-General. 

Thus  closes  the  military  career  of  Governor  Powers.  Not 
brilliant,  perhaps,  like  some  bright  particular  meteor  that  accident 
or  good  fortune  enabled  to  shoot  far  up  above  the  common  sphere 
of  men  to  dazzle  a  world  with  its  effulgence,  but  honorable  and 
creditable,  because  he  steadily  maintained  in  his  march  in  the  regular 
orbit  of  a  true  soldier,  the  faithful  character  of  a  man  who  fought  not 
for  personal  glory,  but  for  the  honor  and  preservation  of  the  life  of 
his  country.  Esteemed  for  his  modesty,  patience,  kindness,  firmness 
and  well-tried  courage,  he  retired  from  the  army,  at  the  close  of  the 
war,  full  of  the  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he  had  served,  carry- 
ing with  him  the  heart-felt  prayers  and  well-wishes  of  superiors 
and  subordinates. 

In  December,  1865,  he  moved  to  the  State  of  Mississippi,  and 
purchasing  one  of  the  best  cotton  farms  in  Noxubee  County,  he 
settled  down  as  a  planter,  and  fully  intended  to  remain  in  quiet 
seclusion  upon  his  plantation.  But  the  stirring  political  scenes 
which  attended  the  reconstruction  of  Mississippi,  brought  him  from 
his  retirement,  and  it  was  not  a  gi-eat  while  before  he  became  an 
active  participant.  At  first,  he  prefeiTed  to  be  a  mere  spectator. 
Having  no  desire  to  mingle  actively  in  the  political  arena  in  which 
bitter  personalities  were  the  favorite  weapons  of  aspirants,  he  re- 
mained quietly  at  home,  taking  no  further  part  than  that  of  simply 
advising  his  neighbors,  and  those  with  whom  lie  came  in  contact,  to 
support  the  plan  of  reconstruction  indicated  by  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States.  He  was  therefore  fi-o  n  the  outset  of  his  political  life, 
a  Republican. 

The  campaign  of  1868  proved  disastrous  to  the  Republican 
party.  With  a  Constitution  proscriptive  in  its  character  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  people,  the  ratification  of  which  was  one  of  its  measures, 
and  with  an  imperfect  organization,  that  party  was  defeated  at  the 
polls.     The  defeat  was  one  of  the  ratfication  of  the  Constitution,  and 

383 


RIDGLEY     C.      POWERS. 

of  course  was  only  a  temporary  postponement  of  the  question  of 
Eeconstruction. 

In  1869,  when  the  experiment  was  to  be  repeated,  and  another 
effort  made  to  restore  Mississippi  to  her  former  relations  to  the 
Federal  Government,  Governor  Powers,  who,  up  to  this  time,  had  not 
taken  a  prominent  part,  was  called  from  his  retirement,  and  at  once 
placed  at  the  head'of  the  Kepublican  party,  as  the  Chairman  of  the 
State  Central  Executive  Committee.  Under  his  direction  and  super- 
vision, the  party  soon  perfected  its  organization,  and  at  the  State 
Nominating  Convention  he  was  made  th?  candidate  for  the  office  of 
Lieut  Governor,  on  the  ticket  with  James  L.  Alcorn  as  the  nominee 
for  Governor. 

Entering  upon  the  canvass  with  the  same  zeal  and  determination 
that  had  characterized  him  as  a  student  and  a  soldier,  he  went  for- 
ward with  his  leader,  at  the  head  of  columns  that  he  had  formed — 
columns  as  solid  and  unwavering  as  a  Macedonian  phalanx.  The 
result  was  a  victory  over  the  opposition  of  nearly  40,000  votes. 

Gov.  Alcorn  was  inaugurated  in  January  1870,  and  Lieut  Gov. 
Powers  entered  at  once  upon  his  duties  as  President  of  the  Senate. 
He  took  hold  of  his  duties  with  an  ease  and  familiarity,  which  could 
have  been  surpassed  only  by  one  who  had  had  much  experience. 
His  quickness  of  perception,  and  his  sound  practical  judgment, 
tempered  with  a  self-reliant  firmness,  placed  at  once  the  reins  of  the 
Senate  in  his  hands,  and  for  two  long  and  exciting  Sessions  he  pre- 
sided over  that  body  with  an  impartial  rectitude  that  commanded 
the  admiration  of  his  political  friends  for  his  ability,  and  th"  esteem 
of  his  political  opponents  for  his  fairness. 

The  new  constitution  that  had  been  ratified  at  the  election,  pro- 
vided that  the  Governor  should  fill  all  the  offices  of  the  State  by 
appointment,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate. 
This  extraordinary  power  brought  around  Governor  Alcorn  many 
place-hunters  and  applicants  for  offices  of  various  kinds,  and,  inas- 
much as  there  were  not  offices  enough  for  all,  some  were  compelled 
to  go  away  destitute.  The  disappointed  were  generally  dissatisfied 
and  chagrined,  and  soon  opened  a  brisk  war  upon  the  Governor.  In 
the  meantime  the  Governor  had  been  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  for  six  years,  commencing  on  the  4th  of  March,  1871 ;  but, 
feeling  pledged  to  remain  as  Governor  until  reconstruction  was  a 
practically  accomplished  fact,  he  declined  to  take  his  seat  or  to  resign 
the  office  he  held  until  after  another  general  election.     This,  together 

384 


RIDGLEY     C.     POWERS. 

with  the  already  existing  disaffection  in  the  ranks  of  the  party  on 
account  of  his  appointments,  created  a  desire  which  culminated  in 
an  effort  to  press  him  fi-om  the  office  of  Governor,  and  force  him  into 
the  United  States  Senate.  To  Gov.  Powers  this  was  a  most  delicate 
question,  and  it  is  mentioned  here  in  order  to  illustrate  a  superior 
trait  in  the  character  of  the  man.  More  immediately  and  personally 
interested  in  the  matter  than  any  other  living  being,  he  bore  himself 
with  a  prudence  and  a  wise  reticence,  that  would  seem  to  imply  that 
he  was  a  most  indifferent  specttitor  to  the  political  excitement  in 
which  he  was  individually  so  much  concerned.  Maintaining  the 
fullest  confidence  of  his  party,  he,  at  the  same  time,  held  in  securest 
trust  the  high  esteem  of  the  Governor,  aud,  in  all  the  wrangle  of  the 
Legislatui-e  with  the  Executive  branch  of  the  State  Government,  he 
preserved  an  equanimity  that  could  only  have  been  the  result  of 
purity  of  motive,  candor  in  expression,  and  firmness  in  decision,  all 
under  the  control  of  the  wisest  discretion. 

In  the  canvass  of  1871,  Gov.  Powers  bore  a  very  prominent  part 
— traversing  nearly  the  entire  State  in  a  series  of  appointments.  He 
was  well  received,  not  only  by  his  party  friends,  but  by  the  opposi- 
tion also.  A  stranger  to  a  large  proportion  of  the  people,  his  polished 
address,  and  the  elevated  and  statesmanlike  tone  of  his  speeches,  ar- 
rested the  attention,  and  contributed  much  to  crash  the  sectional  hos- 
tility to  men  of  Northern  birth.  One  of  his  speeches  was  published 
as  a  campaign  document  in  nearly  all  the  Republican  papers  of  the 
State,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  papers  of  the  canvass. 

On  the  30th  day  of  November,  1871,  Gov.  Alcorn  resigned  the 
Executive  Chair,  and  Eidgley  C.  Powers  was  inaugurated  Governor 
of  the  State  of  Mississippi.  As  the  chief  executive  ofiicer  of  the 
State,  he  enters  upon  his  administration  under  the  most  fkvorable 
auspices.  Posses  -ing  the  most  implicit  confidence  of  his  party,  he 
exercises  with  it  an  influence  that  has  probably  never  been  possessed 
so  fully  and  entirely  by  any  other  man.  The  leaders  of  the  opposi- 
tion, fi-om  a  two  years  acquaintance  with  him  as  Lieut.  Governor, 
have  no  fault  to  find  with  the  prospects  ahead. 

His  first  message  was  delivered  to  the  Legislature  in  January, 
1872.  and  was  just  such  a  document  as  might  be  expected  from  a 
man  wliose  general  course  of  life  had  been  such  as  we  have  attempted 
in  this  brief  sketch  to  portray.  Modest  and  practical,  without  any 
attempt  at  display,  he  strikes  for  the  public  attention  with  a  solid, 
material  earnestness,  and  proceeds  at  once  to  the  discussion  of  mat- 

385 


RIDGLKT     C.      POWERS  \ 

ters  and  tbings  of  real  value,  to  the  people  of  tlie  State.  It  is  not 
often  in  the  history  of  States  that  a  Governor's  message  has  been 
received  with  snch  universal  commendation.  Democrats  themselves 
do  not  withh(_)ld  their  approbation.  The  following  from  the  State 
organ  of  the  pai'ty  gives  a  brief  but  fair  expression  to  the  esteem  in 
which  it  is  held  : 

' '  The  first  message  of  Governor  K.  C.  Powers  will  take  its  place  at  once,  side  by- 
side,  with  the  ablest  State  papers  which  have  found  a  lodgment  in  the  archives  of 
the  Capitol.  And  in  order  that  our  readers  may  perceive  that  this  is  no  unmeasured 
compliment  to  the  statesmanship  of  our  young  Governor,  we  simply  challenge  them 
to  a  candid  perusal.  With  scarcely  a  line  of  preface — without  a  flower  of  rhetoric- 
he  drivt's  his  pen  at  once  to  the  discussion  of  those  substantial  questions  of  State 
policy  in  which  the  real  interests  of  the  people  are  involved. 

' '  The  paper  breathes  an  elevated  statesmanship,  and  presents  the  new  Governor 
with  favorable  impress  to  the  Legislature  and  to  the  people  of  Mississippi.  It  is  not 
a  partisan  document,  but,  ignoring  politics.  His  Excellency  deals  at  once,  and  only, 
with  interests  material  to  peace,  development  and  progress. 

' '  Governor  Powers,  however,  does  not  labor  to  conceal  a  predilection  for  political 
moderation,  and  the  extremist  can  well  understand  that  he  is  not,  in  his  sympathy 
nor  subject,  to  be  appropriated  by  him. 

"The  ample  opportunity  offered  him  for  the  last  two  years,  as  the  presiding 
officer  of  the  Senate,  has  rendered  him  so  familiar  with  the  details  of  its  legislation 
that  he  takes  in  the  whole  field  of  our  internal  policy  in  one  view,  and  is  thereby 
enabled  to  grasp  each  particular  subject  with  the  greatest  ease  and  comprehensive- 
ness. 

' '  His  several  recommendations  meet  our  entire  approval,  as  indicative  of  a  civil 
reform,  which,  if  fostered  by  our  law-makers,  must  advance  the  highest  interests  of 
the  Commonwealth,  and  place  Mississippi  at  once  alongside  of  the  most  progressive 
States  of  the  Union. 

"  That  much  derided  class  of  our  fellow-citizens — the  Kei^ublicans  of  Northern 
birth — may  weU  feel  proud  of  the  Governor  they  have  given  us  from  their  ranks, 
and  the  whole  people  of  the  State,  without  distinction  of  party,  may  well  congratu- 
late themselves  upon  having  as  their  Chief  Executive  of&cer  a  gentleman  so  clear  at 
head  and  sound  at  heart.  His  friends  in  his  native  State  will  enjoy  a  thrill  of  exult- 
ation when  they  read  in  his  message  the  evidence  of  practical  statesmanship." 

As  a  general  thing,  the  hostility  to  Northern  men,  which  has 
prevailed  in  Mississippi,  is  still  alive  in  much  virulence.  In  the 
person  of  Governor  Powers  we  find  a  conqueror  of  this  prejudice ; 
and  the  people  feel  assured  that,  under  his  wise  and  thoughtful 
administration,  much,  if  not  all  of  this  opposition  to  men  from  the 
North  will  pass  away  forever. 

[To  the  foregoing,  published  in  our  first  edition,  twelve  months 
ago,  it  is  proper  here  to  add  that  the  hostility  to  Northern  men  above 
spoken  of  no  longer  exists,  and  Governor  Powers'  administration  is 
receiving  the  full  moral  support  of  all  classes  and  all  parties  in  the 

State.] 

386 


IvIAJ-  G£N.  A.  PLEASOSTON. 


ALPRED    PLEASONTON 

By  Gen'l  JNO.  WATTS  db  PEYSTEB. 


?M3 


mf 


^^^AJOR-GENERAL  Pleasonton    may   be   styled   the 
^{  Seydlitz  of  the  Great  American  Conflict.     Not,  it  is 

fT^  true,  the  Seydlitz  of  Eosbach,  of  Zorndorf,  or  of 
-,y  Kunersdorf,  because  such  opportunities  and  such  indi- 
1*"^  vidual  developments  are  more  rare  and  astounding  than 
the  discovery  of  new  planets,  but  Seydlitz  the  organizer; 
fK'^  the  Seydlitz  of  Freiburg  ;  the  prescient,  enterprising,  vig- 
orous, competent  general  and  handler  of  large  masses  of  cavalry. 
To  compare  any  man  to  Seydlitz,  the  cavalry-captain-general, 
would  be  to  say  that  he  was  equal  to  the  greatest  commander  of 
the  "Arm  of  the  Moment"  in  modern  times,  whose  renown  is 
only  rivaled  by  one  even  in  ancient  timus — that  general  of  the 
horse,  that  intrepid  and  inestimable  lieutenant  to  whom  (Maharbal) 
Hannibal  owed  the  majority  of  his  astounding  victories. 

A  child  of  our  national  capital,  and  the  son  of  a  patriot  father 
from  whom  he  derived  a  decision  of  character  which,  in  the  civilian- 
parent,  was  a  type  of  the  same  characteristic  in  the  warrior-son, 
Alfred  Pleasonton  left  West  Point  to  become  (1844)  an  officer  of 
the  famous  1st  Dragoons  which  won  such  a  brilliant  record  under 
the  tirst  Major-General  Stephen  Watts  Kearny,  uncle  of  the  second 
Majoi-General  Kearny  who  fell,  saving  Pope,  in  the  engagement — 
a  decisive  one,  in  many  respects — at  Chantilly. 

Sixteen  months  afterwards,  Pleasonton  was  transferred  to  the 
2d  Dragoons  to  find  himself  under  one  of  the  finest  disciplinarians 
who  ever  mUde  or  commanded  a  cavalry  regiment. 

Breveted  for  gallantry  and  merit  in  the  two  battles  which 
revealed  the  fighting  qualities  of  an  American  army — Palo  Alto 
and  Resaca  de  la  Palma — he  continued  to  serve  with  distinction 
throughout  the  Mexican  War. 

After  the  peace  in  1849,  whether  as  a  cavalry  officer  or  Acting 

387 


ALFRED    PLEASONTON. 

Assistant  Adjutant-General,  Pleasonton,  for  the  ensuing  twelve 
years,  realized  the  changing  fortunes  of  the  ubiquitous  Eoman 
legionary,  since  he  found  himself  transferred  from  the  central  zone, 
combating  the  savages  of  the  Plains,  to  the  tropical  regions  of 
Florida,  hunting  Indians  of  another  type  ;  then  to  the  remotest 
north-western  possessions  of  our  country,  opposing  the  aggressive 
measures  of  the  British  Government  upon  the  shores  of  the  Pacific. 
Here,  in  Oregon,  he  acted  as  the  most  intimate  subordinate  of  a 
superior,  Harney,  competent  to  set  a  noble  example  of  energy  and 
determination  to  a  young  man  endowed  with  the  qualities  requisite 
to  profit    by  a  familiar  intercourse  with   such   men    as   Kearny, 

,  Taylor,  and  Harney;  the  first  distinguished  fordash  and  true 

chivalry  ;  the  second  for  stern  discipline  ;  the  third  for  unselfish, 
patriotic,  responsibility-assuming  obedience  to  duty  ;  the  fourth 
for  iron  will  and  fearless  execution. 

The  happiest  effects  resulted  from  this  hard  school  o!  seventeen 
years,  and  Pleasonton  demonstrated  that  not  the  slightest  lesson 
had  been  unimproved.  The  seed  of  such  service  had  been  sown  in 
a  soil  capable  of  bringing  it  wiih  marvelous  rapidity  to  mature 
development  and  abundant  fruit. 

Circumscribed  in  regard  to  space,  as  all  these  sl^etches  unavoid- 
ably must  be,  many  details  and  even  allusions,  however  meritorious, 
have  to  be  passed  over  in  silence.  As  Colonel  of  cavalry  under 
McClellan  in  the  Peninsula,  he  was  successful  in  one  of  the  most 
hazardous  enterprises  which  lit  up  momentarily  the  general  gloom 
of  this  summer  succession  of  sanguinary  but  resultless  battles. 

In  the  ensuing  Maryland  campaign,  as  Brigadier-General,  he 
redeemed  the  character  of  our  cavalry,  and,  opposed  to  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart,  the  great  Confederate  captain  of  horse,  invested  by  his 
people  with  the  attribules  of  a  paladin  of  romance,  proved  that 
Northern  ardor  was  more  than  a  match  for  Southern  fervor  in  a 
series  of  combats,  not  only  of  diurnal  occurrence,  but  of  every  phase 
of  the  daylight.  Under  Alfred  Pleasonton,  our  cavalry  became 
what  that  Arm  should  be — the  "  eyes  of  the  army  "  by  day,  and  its 
"  feelers"  by  night. 

Driving  the  Confederate  cavalry  from  Poolesville  through 
Frederic  to  South  Mountam,  his  horse-batteries  ])layed  the  open- 
ing bars  of  the  overture  to  that  brilliant  military  spectacle.  Then, 
with  these  same  batteries,  and  his  supporting  troopers,  he  consti- 
tuted the  center  of  the  Union  line  at  Antietam,  and  handled  his 


ALFRED    PLEASONTON. 

forces  with  such  superior  ability  that  had  he  been  adequately  sup- 
ported in  accordance  with  his  urgent  counsels  and  solicitations,  the 
drawn  battle  accorded  to  Lee  would  have  been  a  catastrophe  for 
the  Confederates  and  a  decisive  triumph  for  the  Union. 

But  it  was  at  Chaucellorsville  that  Pleasonton  was  to  develop 
the  full  scope  of  the  combination  of  qualities,  which,  blessed  with 
opportunity,  decides  battles,  saves  armies,  and  preserves  nations. 
When  Stonewall  Jackson  burst  upon  our  right  like  a  tornado  upon 
a  shallow-rooted  forest,  swept  over  it,  and  sent  it  whirling  to  the 
winds,  Pleasonton,  like  an  enchanter,  stayed  the  destruction,  and 
saved 'us  from  a  bursting-up,  such  as  he  planned  for  Lee  upon  the 
plateau  of  Sharpsburg.  Uniting  all  the  brilliant  requisites  of  a 
master  of  artillery  and  a  handier  of  cavalry,  he  improvised  bat- 
teries in  the  brief  space  afforded  by  the  thunderbolt  of  a  charge  of 
horse,  and  then,  with  the  lightning  of  his  guns,  shattered  the  vic- 
torious onslaught  of  Lee's  ablest  lieutenant,  and  redeemed  a  day  of 
mistakes  and  misfortunes  with  one  single  master-stroke  of  quick 
perception  and  of  execution  as  swift  as  the  thought. 

Such  an  act  stamps  and  makes  a  man  !     It  made  Pleasonton  ! 
Placed  at  the  head  of  the  cavahy  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  he, 
in  turn,  made  it  what  it  proved  eventually  to  be.     Only  two  days 
after  his  actual  accession  to  this  high  command,  he  delivered  at 
Beverly  Ford,  or  Brandy  Station,  the  greatest  cavalry  battle  ever 
fou'^ht  upon  this  continent,  and  most  probably  in  the  whole  world 
since  Frederic  the  Incomparable  "  lent  wings  to  the  lightnuig." 
Perhaps  the  only  parallels  to  this  day  of  charge  and  countercharge, 
was  Murat's  Seventy  Squadron  fight   at  Preuss-Eylau,  or  that  of 
Lannes  at  Eckmuhl,  or  Bessiere's  charge  at  Austerlitz.    Stdl  these 
"subhme   spectacles"    were   only  phases  in  stupendous   battles, 
whereas    Beverly  Ford  was  a  battle  in  itself.     It  gave  a  new  turn 
to  the  entire  campaign       It  revealed  Lee's  plan,  and  it  so  shocked 
him  "  out  ot  his  propriety,"  that  it  shot  him  off  to  Gettysburg. 

What  a  brilliant  series  of  fights  ensued  !  so  glorious  for  the 
cavalry  and  for  Pleasonton  !  The  enumeration,  location,  and  con- 
cisest  description  of  these  would  fill  up  the  space  accorded  to  this 
life  of  him  who  led  them.  How  he  whistled  his  antagonist  through 
the  Kittoctans  south  of  the  Potomac,  followed  him  up,  cut  mto 
him,  and  whipped  him  towards  the  Susquehanna  ;  then  followed 
him  up  again  through  the  South  Mountain  Gaps,  bleeding  him, 
burning  into  him,  back  to  the  Potomac  I 


ALFRED    PLEASONTON. 

But  not  only  uround  Gettysburg  did  Pleasonton  display  his 
abilities  as  a  great  captain  of  horse.  As  at  Antietam,  so  at  Gettys- 
burg, the  comprehensive  eye  of  his  generalship  appreciated  the 
opportunity,  indicated  how  to  improve  it ;  and,  again  on  the  3d 
of  July,  1863,  as  on  the  17th  of  September,  18(J2,  he  beheld  the 
crowning  opportunity,  pointed  out  by  him,  lost — thrown  away. 

Scarcely  permitted  to  let  loose  his  daring  troopers,  he  experi- 
enced the  sad  fate  of  seeing  them  perform  in  such  wise  as  would 
have  immortalized  a  cavalry  commander  under  a  military  adminis- 
tration capable  of  appreciating  their  work,  without  receiving  that 
tbllo\ving-up  support  of  the  other  Arms  which  alone  can  enable 
cavaliy  to  gather  the  grain  into  sheaves  for  the  Harvest  Home  of 
complete  Triumph — grain  which  -their  sabres  had  cut  down  for  the 
binder. 

During  the  fall  campaign  of  1863,  Pleasonton  did  not  lessen 
his  fame  by  a  single  failure  in  the  fighting  of  that  Arm  whose  sin- 
ews he  had  converted  into  steel,  and  whose  blows  he  had  delivered 
with  the  skill  of  an  expert. 

But  he  did  fail  in  policy,  for  his  comments  were  as  severe  as  bis 
cimibats  ;  his  tongue  as  biting  as  his  blade.  The  result  was,  he 
whom  a  Stonewall  Jackson,  or  a  Stuart  did  not  overcome  had  to 
succumb  to  that  "  fire  in  the  rear  "  which  blasted  the  prospects  of 
some  of  our  ablest  and  truest,  who  could  not  unite  the  opposite 
qualifications  of  a  courtier  and  a  soldier,  sacrificed  to  personal 
antagonisms  long  since  at  work  ;  or  the  ofispring  of  suddenly 
awakened  jealousies  ;  or,  to  attribute  luore  excusable  motives, 
rivalry,  and  misconceptions. 

Transferred  to  the  West — "banished  from  Rome  ?  not  banished, 
but  set  free  !" — Pleasonton  made  a  new  record  for  himself,  as  re- 
S2)lendent  at  the  West,  although  on  a  smaller  scale,  as  it  had  been 
at  tlie  East  on  a  larger  one.  Like  Rosecrans  exiled,  as  it  were, 
beyond  the  Mississippi,  in  Missouri,  the  former  let  Pleasonton  loose 
upon  Price.  A  Seydlitz  at  the  head  of  his  Western  troopers,  as  he 
had  been  with  his  Eastern  horsemen,  Pleasonton  disposed  of  Price 
in  a  series  of  brilliant  engagements  winding  up  with  a  crushing 
defeat  the  last  Confederate  invasion  of  Missouri. 

The  war  over,  Pleasonton  demonstrated  that  a  man  fit  for  high 
military  command  is  often  the  most  suitable  for  positions  requiring 
the  union  nf  administrative  energy  and  executive  force.  As  Col- 
lector of  Internal  Revenue  in  the  most   important  districts  of  the 

390 


ALFRED     PLEA  SON TON. 

commercial  metropolis  of  the  Union,  he  achieved  the  greatest  tri- 
umph of  a  civil  officer,  the  approbation  of  the  government  he 
served  and  the  community  among  whom  he  exercised  his  functions. 
Promoted  to  the  trying  position  of  Commissioner  of  Internal  Reve- 
nue, he,  in  turn,  won  the  approval,  it  might  be  said,  of  the  whole 
country. 

Since  this  biographical  sketch  was  written,  to  the  the  surprise 
of  the  thinking  men  of  the  nation,  the  President  of  the  United 
States  has  seen  fit  to  suspend  from  his  functions  an  officer  next  in 
rank  and  inlluence  to  those  iu  the  cabinet — an  officer  who  had  won 
the  respect  of  the  tax-paying  community.  According  to  high 
authority,  the  facts  of  this  proceeding  are  these : 

"  The  law  of  July  20,  1868,  made  tlie  office  of  Commissioner  of 
Internal  Revenue  independent  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  in 
all  matters  of  collecting  moneys.  But  Mr.  BoutweU  chose  to  violate 
this  law  by  assuming  to  overrule  the  Commissioner.  The  latter 
appealed  to  the  President  for  a  decision  of  the  law,  and  asked  if  it 
might  be  referred  to  the  Attorney-G-eneral  for  his  legal  opinion. 
This  was  not  granted,  but  the  Commissioner  was  requested  to 
resign.  To  leave  the  office  with  that  question  unsettled  was  to 
admit  his  entire  official  record  in  that  office  had  been  illegal.  He  " 
(General  Pleasonton)  "  consequently  declined  to  resign,  and  was 
suspended." 

••i  s..-  V-  -;,':-  5,'f  ^.e  -:,'s.  ^ 

To  demonstrate  that  a  man  may  incur  the  disapprobation  of  the 
highest  authority  and  retain  the  good  will,  and  even  win  the  in- 
creased confidence,  of  financial  circles — far  better  qualiiled  to  judge 
of  the  capacity  of  a  judicial  agent  than  political  officials,  however 
elevated  in  position — Pleasonton  had  scarcely  experienced  the  full 
effects  of  the  President's  suspension  than  he  was  elected  President 
of  the  Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis,  and  Cincinnati  Railroad,  one 
of  the  railroads  built  on  the  new  narrow-gauge  principle,  whose 
application  is  exciting  so  much  attention  and  interest  throughout 
the  country.  As  in  so  many  other  instances,  Pleasonton  is  doubt- 
less destined  to  realize  the  pleasing  experience  that  the  individual 
who  succeeds  very  badly  in  a  public  career  is  the  best  fitted  for 
private  life,  since  the  history  of  our  country  has  shown  that  many 
men  have  been  extremely  successful,  as  far  as  their  own  interests 
were  concerned,  in  National,  State,  and  municipal  positions,  after 

391 


ALFRED    PLEASONTON. 

demonstrating  that  they  were  incapable  of  taking  care  of  their  own 
affairs,  or  of  those  which  had  been  intrusted  to  them  on  behalf  of 
others. 

There  are  few  men  of  whom  it  is  so  difficult  to  execute  a  pen- 
portrait  as  Pleasonton  During  the  war  he  was  the  e- act  figure 
of  a  hussar  officer;  and  without  being  what  the  world  esteems  a 
handsome  man,  he  is  a  striking  one,  and  endowed  with  all  the  at- 
tributes and  exjiressions  of  intellectual  as  well  as  physical  force 
and  activity.  Like  Humphreys,  Pleasonton  belongs  to  the  skele- 
ton baud  of  originals — the  few  who  see,  and  estimate,  and  decide 
for  themselves.  Our  cavalry  general  deserves  the  ^tribute  paid  to  a 
royal  namesake,  in  the  Laureate's  ode  to  a  warrior  of  greater  op- 
portunities and  wider  fame  : 

'■  Truth-teller  was  our  English  Alfred  named  ;" 
for,  to  the  enemies  of  his  country  and  the  right,  and  to  shams,  the 
American  Allied  was  an  open  foe  and  a  dangerous  detective.     To 
friends,  however,  and  to  honest  worth,  the  [)leasant  tone  of  his  iu- 
tercom-se  is  consistent  with  the  name  of  Pleasonton. 

393 


/^^^^^< 


THEODORE   F.   RANDOLPH, 

GrOVEKNOK    OF    ]SrE;"V^    JERSEY. 


lONTEMPORANEOUS  history,  particularly  as  re- 
gards the  i^roper  compilation  of  biography,  is  always 
attended  with  many  difficulties  affecting  both  justice 
and  impartiality.  To  the  detriment  of  these  essential 
Vfe%  elements,  the  circumstances  and-  surroundings  of  the 
present,  the  preferences  or  prejudices  of  the  hour,  and  the 
social  and  political  relations  of  the  prominent  actors  in  the 
great  interests  of  the  day,  are  apt  to  enter  largely  into  the  measure 
of  an  appreciation  of  their  individual  character.  Despite  these 
considerations,  however,  it  is  pleasing  to  remark  that  true  worth 
may  claim  its  just  award,  and  seldom  fails  to  evoke  a  befitting 
recognition  on  the  part  of  our  fellow-men.  Our  people,  prompt  in 
condemnation  of  the  unworthy,  are  equally  generous  to  perceive 
and  ready  to  acknowledge  superior  merit  in  every  field  of  endeavor. 
And  this  rendering  of  "  honor  to  whom  honor  is  due,"  this  tribute 
of  admiration  to  genius,  is  nothing  more  than  an  anticipation,  so  to 
speak,  of  the  verdict  of  posterity  adjudging  the  work  of  a  lifetime. 
The  good  that  men  do,  together  with  the  fame  thereof,  does  some- 
times live  with  them,  as  well  as  after  them.  It  is  not  always 
necessary  to  wait  until  the  brain  that  is  on  the  alert  to  conceive, 
the  voice  that  is  quick  to  direct,  and  the  heart  and  hand  that  are 
fearless  to  execute,  be  forever  stilled,  before  the  light  of  justice  and 
regard  may  shine  in  upon  the  efforts  of  those  who  so  eminently 
deserve  the  meed  of  commendation  accorded  them. 

Such  there  are  of  whom  we  may  speak  in  an  appreciative  mem- 
oir, satisfied  that  our  estimation  will  not  exceed  popular  indorse- 
ment ;  and  of  such  is  the  subject  of  our  present  notice.  Indeed,  as 
a  striking  illustration  of  American  energy  and  intelligence,  attended 
alike  with  success,  and  the  honored  consideration  of  his  fellow-men ; 
as  a  representative  and  an  exponent  of  the  progressive  spirit  of  the 
age — of  a  progress  whose  jjurposes  and  results  are  beneficent  as  well 

393 


THEODORE  F.  RANDOLPH. 

as  successful — there  are  few  more  brilliant  jiersonal  examples  than 
that  presented  in  the  life-story  of  Theodore  F.  Randolph,  Governor 
of  New  Jersey.  Our  space,  however,  forbids  other  than  a  mere 
cursory  glance  at  the  same — a  brief  recital  of  facts,  not  elaborated 
by  fancy,  nor  even  comprising  much  valuable  and  interesting  detail. 
Governor  Randolph  was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  Middlesex 
county,  N.  J.,  on  the  24th  June,  1826.  He  is  descended  of  good 
old  Revolutionary  stock,  and  dates  his  ancestry  back  to  the  progeni- 
tor of  the  famous  Virginia  Randolphs  of  Roanoke.  His  father,  a 
most  estimable  citizen,  and  a  man  of  ability,  was  well  known 
as  a  stanch  Henry  Clay  Whig,  who  edited  and  published  the 
Fredonian  at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  for  thirty-six  years,  and 
served  six  years  as  a  member  of  Congress  from  New  Jersey.  When 
a  boy,  the  present  Governor  was  accustomed  to  read  proof  in 
the  office  of  the  Fredonian,  and  afterwards  became  a  contributor 
to  its  columns,  and  an  active  co-worker  with  his  father.  In  this 
connection  he  derived  most  advantageous  instruction,  and  doubtless 
gained  much  of  that  knowledge  of  men  and  things  which  served 
him  so  well  in  after  life.  To  use  the  language  of  another :  "  This 
journalistic  lineage  and  training  gives  Governor  Randolph  a  genuine 
sympathy  with  the  press,  and  those  connected  with  it ;  and  the 
exjjerience  and  insight,  which  name  of  it,  enables  him  without  effort 
to  hold  a  steady  finger  on  the  public  pulse." 

The  press,  at  least,  was  to  him  the  stepj)ing-stone  to  political 
preferment,  and  a  public  career  of  honor  and  usefulness,  which  is 
yet  full  of  promise  for  the  future.  After  a  liberal  education,  he 
was  elected  in  1860  to  the  House  of  Assembly  from  the  First 
District  of  Hudson  county,  being  the  first  Democrat  who  ever 
carried  that  district.  In  1867  he  was  unanimously  chosen  Presi- 
dent of  the  Morris  and  Essex  Railroad  Company.  The  securities 
of  this  Company  advanced  nearly  one  hundred  per  cent,  under 
President  Randolph's  administration  of  two  years,  at  which 
time  he  left  its  control  to  take  the  Governorship.  He  served  in  the 
Legislature  of  his  State  for  eight  years,  distinguishing  himself  for 
wisdom  and  prudence,  for  his  zealous  support  of  the  General 
Government  during  an  eventful  and  trying  period  of  its  history, 
and  for  his  uncompromising  opposition  to  every  species  of  legisla- 
tive corruption. 

He  was  elected  Governor  of  New  Jersey,  after  a  most  spirited 
canvass,  in  the  fall  of  1868,  receiving  a  majority  of  4,547  votes  over 
John  J.  Blair,  the  Republican  candidate.    Considering  the  extraor- 

394 


THEODORE    F.    RANDOLPH. 

dinaiy  efforts  made,  and  the  great  influence  brought  to  bear  to 
carry  the  State  for,  perhaps,  the  strongest  man  of  the  opposing 
party,  and  not  forgetting  the  fact  that  the  aggregate  vote  of  that 
party  in  1870  showed  a  Republican  majority  in  the  State  of  3,423, 
Governor  Randolph's  triumph  stands  as  a  signal  tribute  to  his 
sterling  worth,  and  a  significaut  expression  of  the  confidence  of  his 
fellow-citizens. 

Governor  Randolph  was  inaugurated  in  January,  1869,  begin- 
ning his  Gubernatorial  career  simultaneously  with  that  of  Governor 
Hoffman,  of  New  York.  That  he  has  performed  the  duties  of  his  im- 
portant office  in  a  most  able  and  efficient  manner,  and  proved  himself 
a  ruler  of  great  breadth  of  view,  firmness,  and  moderation  no  one 
will  gainsay.  Exercising  the  veto  power  freely  and  fearlessly  when- 
ever it  became  necessary  to  defeat  corrupt  legislation,  he  has  also 
been  prompt  to  encourage,  and  to  render  powerful  support  in 
behalf  of,  anything  coming  under  his  province  calculated  to  en- 
hance the  public  good,  himself  initiating  many  beneficent  measures, 
including  the  abolition  of  the  vexatious  transit  duties  upon  persons 
traveling  through  the  State,  a  stringent  bill  for  the  punishment  of 
bribery  in  elections,  and  various  other  important  acts.  "  In  short," 
says  a  paper  politically  opposed  to  him,  "  his  whole  career  as  legis- 
lator and  Governor  proves  him  to  be  a  sound,  discriminating  states- 
man, and  a  high-toned  Christian  patriot." 

His  superior  courage  and  statesmanship  were  demonstrated  but 
a  few  months  ago  in  a  proclamation  guaranteeing  equal  rights  to 
all  the  citizens  of  his  State.  This  to  Governor  Randolph  was  but 
a  simple  act  of  justice  and  duty;  but  coming  as  it  did,  after  tlie  un- 
fortunate vacillation  of  the  authorities  of  New  York  City  had 
wounded  the  national  pride,  it  evoked  the  gratitude,  and  sent  a 
thrill  of  joy  to  the  heart  of  every  lover  of  freedom  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

This  famous  proclamation,  issued  on  the  lltli  of  July,  1871, 
the  day  preceding  the  great  riot  in  New  York  City,  assuring  the 
right  of  parade,  with  full  protection  by  the  civil  and  military 
power,  to  the  Orangemen  of  New  Jersey,  was  called  forth  by  the 
necessities  of  tlie  hour,  the  exigencies  of  a  threatened  riot,  and  the 
fermentation  preliminary  thereto.  The  wisdom  and  precaution  of 
Governor  Randolph  caused  the  anticipated  storm  to  blow  ovei 
New  Jersey,  but  it  found  a  bloody  realization  in  New  York. 

The  Superintendent  of  Police  of  New  York  City,  in  accord  with 
the  authorities,  fearing  the  consequences  to  the  public  peace,  as 

39.5 


THEODORE    F.    KANDOLPH. 

inferred  from  ominous  threats  and  preparations  on  the  part  of  the 
mob  element,  had  issued  an  order  prohibiting  the  contemplated 
Orange  parade  in  the  streets  of  that  city.  This  order  was  revoked 
by  Grovernor  IIofFman  on  the  morning  of  the  12th  of  July.  The 
parade  took  place  on  the  same  day,  resulting,  as  is  well  known,  in 
a  riotous  onslaught,  and  repulse  by  the  military  and  police,  at  the 
cost  of  half  a  hundred  or  more  lives  of  men,  women,  and  children. 

It  is  not  our  province  iiere  to  discuss  the  causes  of  this  melan- 
choly occurrence,  or  to  affirm  that  it  might  or  might  not  have  been 
avoided  ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  temporary  surrender  of  the  city 
authoriti(>s  to  the  menaces  of  the  mob  prior  thereto  had  aroused 
public  indignation  all  over  the  country,  which  was  but  indifferently 
appeased  by  the  prompt  revocatory  order  of  Governor  Hoffman. 

Up  to  noon  of  July  11th,  Governor  Randolph,  being  in  the 
country,  had  no  knowledge  or  intimation  of  the  New  York  Police 
Superintendent's  order.  On  reading  it  he  at  once  appreciated  its 
purport,  and  immediately  determined,  with  that  promptness  charac- 
teristic of  the  man,  and  without  consultation  with  any  one,  upon  the 
course  necessary  for  him  to  pursue.  This  order  he  considered 
as  subversive  of  the  principles  of  free  government,  and  in  utter 
antagonism  to  the  letter  and  spirit  of  our  Constitution,  besides 
being  a  direct  and  most  unfortunate  concession  to  a  dangerous 
element,  now  becoming  so  prevalent  in  our  large  cities. 

Recognizing  the  effect  of  the  order  in  question,  as  calculated  to 
throw  upon  the  authorities  of  New  Jersey  the  riotous  element  ot 
New  York,  thereby  devolving  upon  them  the  care  of  the  disturbing 
factions  of  both  States,  he  resolved  to  meet  the  issue  without 
hesitation  and  with  the  utmost  celerity.  Accordingly  he  issued 
the  following  proclamation  : — 

STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

Proclamation  by  TnEODOEE  F.  Randolph,  Governor  of  New  Jersey. 

The  Constitution  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey  enumerates,  among  other  "  Rights 
and  Privilege?,"  that  "  the  people  have  the  right  to  freely  assemble  together."  It 
also  proclaims  that  "  no  person  shall  be  denied  the  enjoyment  of  any  civil  right, 
merely  on  account  of  his  religious  principles."  It  also  makes  the  Governor  of  the 
State  "  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  military  and  naval  forces  of  this  State,"  and, 
under  his  oath  of  office,  makes  it  his  duty  "  to  promote  the  peace  and  prosperity, 
and  maintain  the  rights  of  the  State." 

Now,  it  having  come  to  my  knowledge  that  a  body  of  inhabitants  of  this  L^tate, 
in  conformity  to  a  custom  among  them,  and  in  consonance  with  the  custom  of 
other  bodies  or  societies  of  inhabitants  of  this  State,  propose  to  celebrate  what  to 
them  is  deemed  an  Anniversary  day  ;  and  it  having  come  to  my  knowledge  that 
interference  with  this  contemplated  cclebr.ition  may  possibly  take  place,  by  reason 

396 


THEODORE    F.    RANDOLPH. 

of  which  a  serious  disturbance  of  the  peace  of  the  Commonwealth  would  probably 
ensue  ;  now,  therefore,  I,  THEODORE  F.  Randolph,  Governor  of  the  State  of  New 
Jersey,  do  hereby  proclaim  that  both  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  Constitution  of 
our  State  of  New  Jersey,  as  well  as  the  long-established  custom  of  our  people,  to 
permit  aud  protect  all  peaceful  gatherings  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  State,  irrespec- 
tive of  religious  or  political  creed,  make  it  the  lawful  right  of  any  body  of 
peaceful  citTzens  to  assemble  together ,  and  that  Right  cannot  be  abridged  or 
interfered  with  by  any  unauthorized  body  of  men,  of  any  nationality,  creed,  or 
religion,  whatever  the  real  or  supposed  provocation  may  seem  to  be. 

And  I  do,  therefore,  enjoin  upon  all  good,  law-abiding,  and  peaceful  citizens  of 
this,  our  State  of  New  Jersey,  to  assist  in  every  way  in  preserving  the  peace,  good 
order,  and  dignity  of  the  same,  not  only  by  abstinence  from  provocation,  but  by 
acts  of  toleration,  forbearance,  and  true  manliness. 

And  I  do  hereby  warn  all  persons  from  other  States,  who  may  seek,  by  acts  of 
provocation,  to  interfere  with  the  peaceful  assembling  of  inhabitants  of  this  State, 
that  such  offense  against  the  peace  and  good  order  of  this  Commonwealth,  will  be 
promptly  and  rigorously  punished  by  our  authority. 

And  I  do  further  enjoin  and  command  all  legally  constituted  authorities  of  this 
State  to  fully  protect  all  peaceful  assemblages  of  our  inhabitants,  using  every 
means  at  their  command  to  enforce  this  Proclamation,  assuring  all  such  properly 
consiituted  authorities  that,  in  the  event  of  the  insufficiency  of  the  ordinary  local 
power,  the  entire  power  of  the  State  will,  if  necessary,  be  called  into  exercise, 
to  compel,  at  any  cost,  respect  for  and  obedience  to  our  Laws. 

And  I  do  further  enjoin  upon  the  members  of  the  Society  especially  proposing 
to  assemble  together  to-morrow,  the  exercise  of  the  utmost  patience,  care,  and  dis- 
cretion in  the  pursuance  of  their  Rights,  bearing  in  mird  that  to  a  large  portion 
of  our  fellow-citizens  the  peculiar  occasion  of  their  gathering  is  deemed  an  unne- 
cessary revival  of  an  ancient  political  and  religious  feud,  of  no  general  interest  to 
the  great  body  ot  our  American  citizens ;  and  that  thongh  they  are  sustained  in 
their  right  to  peacefully  assemble  together,  they  are  by  no  means  sustained,  as  I 
firmly  believe,  by  any  large  number  of  sincerely  patriotic  and  Christian  people  in 
the  expediency  of  the  exercise  of  that  right  at  this  time. 

Given  at  the  Executive  chamber  in  the  City  of  Trenton,  this  eleventh  day  of  July 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy -one,  and  of 
the  Independence  of  the  United  St.ates  of  America  the  ninety-sixth. 

THEODORE  F.  RANDOLPH. 

Attest ;— Samuel  C.  Brown,  Private  Secretary. 

By  one  o'clock  P.  M.,  July  11th,  the  proclamation  was  writteu 
and  dispatched  to  the  various  telegraph  offices,  and  ordered  printed 
in  handbill  form  for  general  distribution.  To  secure  the  speedy 
transmission  of  this  proclamation  throughout  the  State,  and  in 
New  York  City,  where  the  rioters  were  arranging  to  invade  New 
Jersey,  Governor  Randolph  went  in  person  to  the  telegraph  offices, 
took  "constructive  possession"  of  several  of  them,  so  that  the 
message  got  over  the  wires  in  due  time,  followed  up  by  such  orders 
to  the  civil  and  military  authorities  as  were  requisite  to  call  out 
sufficient  force  to  preserve  the  public  peace.  He  superintended  the 
disposition  of  the  troops  on  the  12th  of  July,  and  himself  kept  watch 

397 


THEODORE    F.    RANDOLPH. 

throughout  the  day  and  night  to  prevent  the  New  York  organization 
from  crossing  the  river,  and  landing  in  New  Jersey.  These  measures 
proved  ample  for  the  occasion,  and  the  civil  authorities  were  able  to 
cope  with  the  situation  without  the  direct  interference  of  the  mili- 
tary, though  its  presence  was  manifest  at  every  important  point. 
The  tendency  of  the  proclamation,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
backed  up,  were  pacificating  and  conservative  of  life  and  the  peace. 
There  can  be  no  question  that  had  it  not  been  for  the  timely  action 
of  the  Governor,  there  would  have  been  in  New  Jersey,  as  in  New 
York,  a  most  serious  outbreak. 

We  have  dwelt  somewhat  at  length  upon  this  particular  event 
in  Governor  Randolph's  history,  because  his  course  therein  brought 
him  prominently  before  the  country  and  "  turned  all  eyes  upon  him 
and  drew  all  hearts  after  him  !"  It  was  a  period  in  a  public  career 
of  which  any  one  may  be  proud.  His  proclamation  was  in  accord- 
ance with  the  principles  of  the  great  Democratic  party  of  which  he 
was  an  honored  exponent,  and  it  won  iiim  earnest  and  wide-spread 
approbation  irrespective  of  party.  As  an  emphatic  vindication  of 
law  and  order  and  the  rights  of  our  people  as  opposed  to  mob-rule 
and  an  aggressive  spirit  of  lawlessness,  it  is  now  a  part  and  parcel 
of  our  national  history. 

Governor  Randolph's  official  term  expires  in  January,  1872,  and 
he  is  not  eligible  to  re-election  owing  to  the  constitutional  one-term 
principle  being  in  operation  in  that  State.  He  has  been  a  most 
popular  public  officer,  and  quits  the  Gubernatorial  chair  with  a 
record  worthy  of  himself,  his  party,  and  his  State. 

He  is  an  accomplished  gentleman,  of  finj  conversational  powers, 
acknowledged  ability,  and  ample  fortune — like  all  his  ancestors  fond 
of  literature,  politics,  and  agriculture.  His  country-seat  in  Morris- 
town,  N.  J.,  is  surrounded  by  all  the  essentials  of  comfort  and 
a  refined  taste,  and  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  loveliest  in  the  State. 
His  wife  is  the  daughter  of  Hon.  N.  D.  Coleman,  member  of  Con- 
gress for  Kentucky,  and  a  grand-daughter  of  Chief-Justice  Marshall 
— a  name  deservedly  famous  in  the  annals  of  the  jurisprudence  of 
this  Continent. 

A  man,  combining  as  fundamental  elements  of  his  character, 
courage  and  patriotism,  noble  aspirations,  fidelity  to  duty,  keen 
sensitiveness  to  honorable  obligations,  and  steadfast  adherence  to 
purpose  and  principle.  Governor  Randolph  has  made  his  influence 
conspicuous  for  good  in  the  past,  and  gives  much  promise  of  greater 
usefulness  in  the  future. 

398 


TUEODORE    F.    RANDOLPn. 

Since  the  foregoing  was  written,  Grovernor  Randolph  has  issued 
two  proclamations,  which  are  worthy  of  being  embodied  in  this 
memoir.  One  was  the  outburst  of  a  sympathetic  charity,  which, 
with  wonderful  spontaneity,  soon  found  most  noble  and  substantial 
utterance  throughout  the  whole  country  in  behalf  uf  suffering 
Chicago.  The  appeal  is  earnest,  and  accomplished  abundant  good, 
the  contributions  under  it  amounting  to  more,  prorateably,  than 
those  from  any  State  in  the  Union. 

PUOCLAMATION  BY  THE  GOTEENOR. 

To  the  People  of  Ncio  Jersey  : 

ExEcnTivE  Department,  Trenton,  Oct.  10th,  1871. 
The  great  city  of  Chicago  has  been  visited  by  a  calamity  uoparalleled  in  mod- 
ern times.  Aside  from  the  loss  of  property  that  will  bring  ruin  to  thousands  of 
families,  the  immediate  personal  suffering  of  homeless  and  distressed  men,  and 
helpless  women  and  children,  calls  for  the  most  prompt  and  liberal  aid  from  every 
humane  person  in  the  land.  To  give  immediate  direction  to  the  generous  purposes 
of  the  people  of  New  Jersey,  I  urge  upon  all  local  authorities — in  cities,  through 
constituted  committees  and  the  clergy  of  all  denominations ;  in  towns,  through  the 
town  committees,  aided  by  resident  benevolent  citizens ;  and  in  the  rural  dis- 
tricts, by  local  organizations, — the  most  prompt  gathering  of  our  people,  and  the 
speedy  contribution  of  money  and  clothing  for  the  relief  of  the  suffering.  Almost 
every  household  has  clothing  that  the  can  be  spared,  and  the  contribution  of  it 
cannot  be  too  quick  nor  too  abundant.  Almost  every  inhabitant,  rich  or  poor,  of 
our  prosperous  State  can  give  for  such  a  purpose.  It  is  both  a  duty  and  a  privi- 
lege so  to  do.  As  Jersey  City  and  Camden  are  convenient  points  to  every  portion 
of  the  State,  to  which  contributions  of  every  kind  may  bo  quickly  sent,  and  from 
which  they  may  be  forwarded  to  Chicago  without  delay,  I  suggest  that  all  such 
donations  of  money  and  clothing  be  addressed  to  the  Mayors  of  those  cities,  who 
will,  at  the  proper  time,  make  a  public  and  detailed  acknowledgment  of  all  their 
receipts.  I  will  also  appoint ,  in  behalf  of  the  State,  such  assistance  'to  these  officers 
as  they  may  require  ;  and  I  will  personally  attend  to,  and  insure  the  safe  and  prompt 
transmission  of,  all  contributions  the  charity  of  our  peojjle  may  jjlace  at  our  dis- 
posal. A  population  larger  than  our  city  of  Newark  contains,  is  without  food, 
raiment,  or  shelter,  wearied  in  body  to  the  last  degree,  distressed  in  mind  beyond 
expression,  and  houseless  and  homeless  upon  the  verge  of  winter.  Whilst  the 
Almighty  has  seen  fit  to  permit  this  desolation,  let  us,  by  large  gifts  of  that  which 
ho  has  bestowed  upon  us,  show  our  gratitude  for  our  prosperity  and  for  all  His 
m  p.  rp,  IPS 

THEODORE  F.  RANDOLPH, 

Governor  of  New  Jersey. 

The  other  came  as  the  promptings  of  duty  in  behalf  of  the 
purity 'of  the  ballot-box,  and  proved  most  effective  in  preventing 
the  evil  which  evoked  it. 

proclamation. 

State  op  New  Jersey,  ) 
Executive  Com.mittee.     \ 
Whereas,   The  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey  did  at  its  last  session 
pass  a  law  entitled  "  An  Act  relative  to  Bribery,"  a  copy  of  which  is  made  a  part 
of  this  Proclamation : 

^99 


THEODORE    F.    RANDOLPH. 

Now,  therefore,  I,  Theodore  F.  Randolph,  Governor  of  tbe  State  of  New 
Jersey,  do  hereby  onjoin  upon  all  chief  judicial  olflcers  of  this  State,  upon  all  local 
magistrates,  upon  sheriffs  and  their  deputies,  upuu  police  officers  and  constables, 
aud  upon  all  officers  of  the  State  who  have  especially  taken  upon  themselves  the 
oath  to  bear  true  faith  and  allegiance  to  the  government,  to  see  that,  to  the  best 
of  their  ability,  the  provisions  of  this  law  be  fully  and  faithfully  executed. 

And  I  do  further  enjoin  upon  the  State  attorneys  for  the  several  counties  of 
this  State  the  prompt  and  vigorous  prosecution,  withoiit  fear  or  favor,  of  all  per- 
sons or  corporations  who  may  in  any  degree  render  themselves  liable  to  the  penal- 
ties of  the  law  against  Bribery  and  Elections. 

And  I  do  further  enjoin  upon  all  good  citizens  of  this  State  the  execution  of 
this  law,  us  far  as  in  their  power  lies,  by  rendering  information  to  magistrates  and 
to  graud  juries  that  will  serve  to  cause  the  arrest  and  conviction  of  any  officer  or 
corporation,  or  other  person  or  persons,  who  may,  directly  or  indirectly,  bribe,  or 
attempt  to  bribe,  or  give  means  t'l  bribe,  any  voter  of  this  State,  or  who  may  be 
guilty  of  receiving  a  bribe  from  any  person  or  corporation  by  which  a  vote  shall  be 
influenced. 

And  I  do  hereby  offer  a  reward  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  the  arrest  and 
conviction  of  any  and  every  person  who  may  be  found  violating  the  provisions  of 
said  law  at  the  coming  election  in  this  State^said  rewards  to  be  paid  until  the 
total  amount  expended  for  this  purpose  shall  reach  the  sum  of  five  thousand 

DOLLAES. 

The  affidavits  of  persons  upon  which  the  arrests  and  convictions  shall  be  had, 

determining  the  claimants  of  reward,  and  the  priority  of  convictions,  to  determine 

to  whom,  within  the  aggregate  amount,  the  rewards  shall  be  paid. 

r  T       Given  under  my  hand  and  seal,  at  Trenton,  this  seventeenth  day 

[SEAL. I  J  >  •  J 

of  October,  eighteen  hundred  and  seventy-one. 

THEO.  F.  RANDOLPH. 
Attest :  Akthub  E.  Beown,  Acting  Private  Secretary. 

Both  of  these  proclamations  are  State  papers  evidencing  the 
quick  perception  of  duty,  the  readiness  to  appreciale  and  intelli- 
gence to  meet  emergencies,  on  the  part  of  their  distinguished  author. 

An  important  case,  involving  a  question  of  executive  prerogatives 
and  judicial  authority,  has  very  recently  attracted  considerable 
attention  in  New  Jersey,  and  still  further  signalized  the  administra- 
tion of  Governor  ilandoljih. 

Certain  parties  interested  in  the  privileges  of  the  "  German 
Valley  Railway  Company"  bill  (which  had  passed  the  House  of 
Assembly  in  March,  1871  ;  but,  owing  to  its  extraordinary 
character,  had  failed  to  receive  the  Governor's  official  sanction  to  its 
provisions)  instituted  a  suit  in  the  Court  of  Chancery,  with^  view, 
evidently,  to  test  the  validity  of  the  Executive  action,  on  the  ground 
of  some  alleged  informality  or  irregularity.  Following  this, 
Governor  Randolph  was  twice  subpoenaed  by  a  Master  in  Chancery 
to  appear  as  a  witness  and  give  evidence  in  the  suit,  bringing  with 
him  the  "  original  engrossed  copy  of  the  German  Valley  bill,"  &c. 

400 


THEODORE    F.    RANDOLPH. 

To  these  summons  he  replied  that,  as  their  terms  indicated  a 
purpose  to  inquire  into  the  Executive  action,  he  declined  to  obey 
them. 

In  a  letter  on  the  subject,  addressed  to  Hon.  Cortlandt  Parker, 
he  defines  his  position  at  length,  from  which  we  extract  the 
following  : — 

"  The  Chancellor,  to  whose  attention  these  documents  and  my 
non-attendance  has  been  called,  has  caused  to  be  served  upon  me, 
as  a  citizen,  a  summons,  directing  me  to  show  reason  why  1  should 
not  appear  and  testify,  bringing  the  official  papers  referred  to. 

"  This  act  of  the  Court  of  Chancery  presumes,  therefore,  to 
define  when  the  Executive  prerogative  ceases,  and  the  liability  of 
the  citizen  begins. 

"  Now,  without  desiring  that  my  official  action  shall  be  con- 
sidered— even  to  the  extent  it  shall  go — as  a  precedent,  by  which 
my  successors  in  office  shall  be  bound,  I  desire  you  to  appear  before 
the  Chancellor  on  Tuesday  next,  at  Trenton,  and,  after  stating  to 
him  that,  as  a  matter  of  courtesy  and  respect  from  a  co-ordinate 
branch  of  the  Government  to  that  branch  of  which  he  is  a  member, 
you  appear  to  make  certain  statements  to  him,  and  to  request  that 
their  substance,  at  least,  be  entered  upon  the  records  of  his  court. 

"  Added  to  those  statements  which  your  legal  learning  will 
place  before  the  Chancellor,  you  will  please  state  from  me — 

"  That  all  my  knowledge  in  the  case  in  controversy,  and  all  my 
possession  of  papers  desired,  is  absolutely  official  in  character,  and 
comes  from  my  position  as  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  State. 

"  That,  as  hei-etofore  stated  to  him,  under  an  official  note  of 
October  IGth,  1871,  I  deny  the  authority  of  the  Court  of  Chancery 
to  compel  my  attendance  before  it,  to  answer  for  any  official  act 
of  miue. 

"  That  the  Executive  Department  of  the  Government,  being 
alone  the  department  whose  functions  are  never  to  be  intermitted, 
and,  therefore,  unlike,  in  character,  the  functions  of  both  the 
judicial  and  legislative  branches  of  government,  it  follows  that  no 
authority  (save  through  charges  of  impeachment)  can  suspend  the 
Executive  functions  ;  and,  if  this  be  true,  j^reliminary  steps  by 
judicial  summons  are,  at  least,  useless. 

"  That  the  Legislature  is  the  constitutionally  authorized 
authority  to  obtain  answer  from  me  for  my  official  action  or 
inaction,  and  that  no  warrant  is  to  be  found  in  the  organic  law  for 

401 


THEODORE    F.     RANDOLPH. 

the  interference  of  the  Judicial  Department  of  the  Government 
with  tliat  of  the  Executive  ;  and  that,  whilst  paying  the  highest 
respect,  as  a  citizen,  to  the  Judicial  Department  of  the  State,  and 
desiring  to  obey,  as  a  citizen,  all  its  summons,  I  can  not  and  will 
not  consent  to  any  improper  interference,  from  any  quarter,  with 
the  Executive  office,  its  duties,  dignities,  or  prerogatives ;  and  that, 
as  the  only  member  of  the  Executive  branch  of  the  Grovernment,  I 
am  constrained,  especially  in  the  absence  of  precedents  in  this 
Commonwealth,  to  be  the  sole  judge  of  what  the  duties  of  my  office 
are,  and  of  what  may  constitute  a  trespass  upon  the  authority  and 
privileges  of  this  co-ordinate  branch  of  the  State  Government." 

This  is  the  first  case  of  the  kind  which  has  ever  occurred  in  the 
State's  history  ;  and  it  establishes  a  precedent  which  will  go  far 
toward  controlling  future  action  in  all  matters  concerning  Executive 
prerogatives  and  judicial  authority.  It  is  sufficient  here  to  add, 
that  Governor  Randolph's  course  has  met  with  general  approval, 
and  the  correctnes.s  of  his  position  is  couceded  by  the  Chancellor, — 
the  highest  legal  authority  of  the  State. 

403 


JOHN   MEREDITH  READ,   Jr. 

By  Jane  Ghat  Seavee. 


gj^$)^|j;  ENEEAL  JOHN  MEREDITH  READ,  Jr.,  F.S.A., 
^!K,;;    M.E.I,  .v.,  etc.,    etc.,    Consul-General  of  the  United 
:;-i,^'    States  at  Paris,  France,  during  the  two  sieges  of  1870- 
71,  and  at  the  present  time  (1873),  descends  from 
I'li   an  old  and  powerful  family,  which  from  a  remote  period 
has  endowed  both  the  history  of  England  and  Ireland 
with  men  eminent  in  the  Church,  the  State,  and  the  Army. 
In  our  own   country  it  ranks  with  the  Washingtons,  Jef- 
fersons,  Livingstons,  Adams,  and  Jay.s. 

The  Read  family*  and  its  connections  gave  to  the  cause  of 
American  liberty,  in  the  last  century,  three  signers  of  the  immortal 
Declaration  of  Independence,  and  three  framers  and  signers  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States.  Fourteen  of  its  members  and 
relatives,  including  the  honored  names  of  Ross,  Dickinson,  Bedford, 
Clymer,  Meredith,  and  Cadwalader,  served  their  country  during  the 
Revolutionary  war,  either  by  sea  or  land.  None  of  them  held  a 
rank  inferior  to  that  of  Captain  in  the  navy,  or  of  Colonel  or  Gen- 
eral in  the  army.  The  Hon.  George  Read,  of  Delaware,  the  great- 
grandfather of  General  Read,  was  one  of  the  six  signers  of  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence,  who  were  also  framers  and  signers  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States.  He  was  the  son  of  Colonel  John 
Read  (1688-1756),  a  rich  landed  proprietor  in  Maryland ;  and  the 
grandson  of  an  Irish  gentleman  of  fortune  and  ancient  descent — 
"  Sprung,  in  all  probability,"  says  "  Burke's  Peerage,"  "  from  an  elder 
branch  of  the  old  family  of  Read  of  Oxfordshire,  England,  from  which 

*  There  are  in  England  and  America  thi-ee  distinct  families  having  names  simi- 
lar in  sound,  but  entirely  dissimilar  in  origin,  meaning,  and  spelling,  and  having 
not  the  slightest  connection  with  each  other.  Kead,  derived  from  the  Saxon  (orig- 
inally Reade  and  Eede),  signifies  "Counsel,  advice;"  and  bears  no  relation  what, 
ever  to  Reed,  a  reed;  or  Keid,  the  color  red. 

403 


JOHN     MEREDITH     READ,     JR. 

descends  the  celebrated  novelist,  Charles  Reade,  D.  C.  L.,  and  to  which 
belonged  the  Reads,  extinct  Bai-onets  of  Brocket  Hall,  and  the  Reades, 
Baronets  of  Shipton  and  Barton,  descended  from  Edward  III." 
George  Read  was  born  on  the  paternal  estate,  in  the  province  of 
Maryland,  September  18,  1733.  After  completing  his  classical  and 
legal  studies  he  was  called  to  the  bar  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  at 
the  early  age  of  nineteen,  and  removed  in  1753  to  the  province  of 
Delaware,  where  he  soon  became  the  leader  of  the  proprietary  party, 
and  was  made  Royal  Attorney-General  when  only  twenty-nine. 
Becoming  disgusted,  however,  with  the  exactions  of  t*e  British  Gov- 
ernment and  its  oppressive  policy  towards  the  Colonies,  he  resigned 
his  office,  and  was  immediately  elected  a  delegate  to  the  first  Con- 
tinental Congress,  which  met  in  Philadelphia  in  1774.  From  this 
time  until  his  death  in  1798,  he  consecrated  his  talents  to  the  pub- 
lic service.  As  member  of  Congress  during  the  Revolutionary 
period;  as  chairman  of  many  important  committees;  as  commis- 
sioner for  the  settlement  of  boundaries  ;  as  delegate  to  the  Annapo- 
lis Convention,  which  preceded  and  originated  the  Convention 
which  framed  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States ;  as  member  of 
this  last  august  assembly  ;  as  Judge  of  the  National  Court  of  Ap- 
peals in  Admiralty ;  as  Senator  of  the  United  States  twice  elected  ; 
finally  as  President  and  Chief  Justice  of  Delaware,  his  name,  his 
voice,  and  his  pen  were  associated  with  all  the  grave  questions  and 
all  the  great  measures  of  that  historical  epoch.  He  was  the  author 
of  the  first  Constitution  of  Delaware  and  of  many  important  national 
papers.  Chief  Justice  Read  married  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
George  Ross,  and  sister  of  Hon.  John  Ross,  Attorney  General,  of 
Judge  George  Ross,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
and  of  Mrs.  Biddle,  wife  of  the  President  of  the  Colonial  legislative 
body  of  Pennsylvania. 

His  son,  the  Hon.  John  Read  (1769-1854),  an  eminent  lawyer 
of  Philadelphia,  graduated  at  Princeton  College  in  1787,  under  the 
Presidency  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Witherspoon;  and  married,  in  1796, 
the  eldest  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Samuel  Meredith,*  Brigadier-Gen- 


•  Descended,  siij-s  Sir  Bcruard  Bmke,  from  the  ancient  Cambrian  family  of 
Meredith,  to  which  belonged  the  celebrated  Lord  Bishop  of  Leighlin,  also  General 
Meredith,  one  of  the  Duke  of  Marlborough's  Generals,  from  whom  sjirings  the 
present  Baron  Meredith,  Lord  Athlumney,  and  the  Merediths,  Baronets  of  Green- 
hills,  County  Kildare,  and  the  Merediths,  Baronets  of  Carlandstown,  County 
Meath. 

404 


JOHN     MEREDITH     READ,     JR. 

pral,  member  of  the  Continental  Congress,  and  an  intimate  friend  of 
General  Washington,  who  appointed  him  the  first  Treasurer  of  the 
United  States.  George  Clymer,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, and  a  framer  and  signer  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  was  Mrs.  Eead's  uncle.  Her  mother  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Lieut -Governor  Cadwalader  and  the  sister  of  General  John 
Cadwalader  and  Colonel  Lambert  Cadwalader.  Her  brother-in-law. 
General  Philemon  Dickinson,  commanded  the  New  Jersey  forces  at 
the  battle  of  Monmouth,  and  John  Dickinson,  author  of  the  "Farmer's 
Letters,"  was  her  cousin.  In  1797  Mr.  Read  was  appointed  by 
President  Adams,  Agent  General  of  the  United  States  for  Biitish 
Debts.  He  filled  this  office  with  great  ability  through  Jefferson's 
administration  and  until  it  terminated  ;  and  published  an  admirable 
volnme  upon  the  results  of  his  labora  He  was  twice  elected  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
chairman  of  its  most  important  committees. 

In  1816  he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  Pennsylvania,  as  the  suc- 
cessor of  Nicholas  Biddlc,  and  was  soon  after  appointed  a  State  Di- 
rector in  the  Philadelphia  Bank.  In  1819  he  accepted  the  appoint- 
ment of  President ;  occupying  this  post  with  characteristic  success 
and  integrity  until  he  resigned  it  in  1841. 

His  ouljr  surviving  son,  the  Hon.  John  Meredith  Read,  LL.D., 
of  Philadelphia,  the  father  of  General  Read,  is  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguishe<l  lawyers  and  Judges  that  America  has  produced ;  and  fills 
at  this  time,  being  in  his  seventy-sixth  year,  the  high  station  of 
Chief  Justice  of  Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  on  the  21st  July, 
1797;  graduated  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  at  the  age  of 
fifteen;  and  was  called  to  the  bar  in  1818.  He  was  elected  five 
years  later  to  the  Legislature — re-elected — made  United  States  Dis- 
trict Attorney  for  Eastern  Pennsylvania  in  1837 ;  and  was  nomi- 
nated by  the  President,  in  1845,  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States,  but  was  not  confirmed  on  account  of 
his  freesoil  principles,  which  he  vigorously  supported  even  at  that 
early  day.  In  1846  he  was  appointed  Attorney-General  of 
Pennsylvania.  Resigning  soon  after,  he  became  the  leader  of  the 
bar. 

Many  of  our  readers  will  recall  his  eloquent  and  exhaustive 
airument  in  the  famous  Christiana  Treason  Trials  in  1851.  His 
discussion  of  the  law  of  treason  was  so  masterly'  as  to  win  the  warm 
admiration  of  English   lawyers,  and  drew  from  his  associate,  Thad- 

405 


JOHN     MEREDITH     READ,     JR. 

deus  Stevens,  who  was  to  close  the  case,  these  remarkable  words: 
"  I  can  find  nothing  to  add." 

His  profoundly  conclusive  discourse  on  this  occasion  was  never 
completely  reported.  "  If  it  had  been,"  says  a  high  legal  authority, 
"  it  would  have  definitely  settled  the  law  of  treason  in  the  United 
States." 

In  1856  he  delivered,  at  Philadelphia,  his  celebrated  speech  upon 
"  the  power  of  Congress  over  the  tenitories."  In  1858  he  was 
elected  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania,  by  a  majority 
of  nearly  thirty  thousand.  This  was  the  first  victory  in  Pennsyl- 
vania of  the  Republican  party;  a  party  which  Judge  Read  had 
greatly  contributed  to  found. 

This  brought  him  prominently  foi-ward  in  the  list  of  candidates 
for  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States;  and  it  was  at  one  time  pro- 
posed to  nominate  him  for  President  with  Abraham  Lincoln  for 
Vice-President.  During  the  rebellion  the  learned  and  patriotic  de- 
cisions of  Judge  Read  lent  a  powerful  support  to  the  cause  of  the 
General  Government.  He  was  likewise  the  inspirer  of  some  of  the 
most  important  national  measures  adopted  by  Congress.  Amongst 
these  may  be  cited  the  law  of  March  3,  1863,  suggested  by  a  learned 
paper  of  his,  published  in  the  preceding  Decembei-,  with  the  title  of 
"  Opinions  of  Judge  Read  upon  the  suspension  of  the  Habeas  Cor- 
pus." He  also  contributed,  to  a  notable  extent,  to  the  Constitiitions 
now  in  vigor  in  the  States  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey. 

Descended  from  a  race  wherein  integrity,  intellectual  ability, 
and  energy  are  hereditary,  it  is  not  surprising  that  our  subject  has 
acquired  a  distinguished  reputation,  at  a  comparatively  eariy  age,  in 
the  various  paths  which  he  has  trodden. 

General  John  Meredith  Read,  Jr.,  only  son  of  Chief  Justice  Read, 
was  born  at  Philadelphia  on  the  21st  of  February,  1837.  He  was 
educated  at  a  military  school,  and  commanded  the  corps  of  Na- 
tional Cadets  which  furnished  to  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  during  the  war  of  secession  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
ofBcers  for  the  army.  In  1855  he  served  as  aid-de-camp  to  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Rhode  Island,  with  the  rank  of  Colonel.  In  1858  lie  grad- 
uated as  M.A.  at  Brown  University,  and  as  LL.B.  in  the  School  of 
Law  at  Albany  in  1859  ;  and  was  called  to  the  bar  in  Philadelphia 
in  the  same  yeai',  and  removed  to  the  city  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  associated  himself  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  with  John  San- 
ford  Barnes,  now  Commander  Barnes,  of  the  United  States  Navy. 

406 


JOHN     MEREDITH     READ,     JR. 

He  had  previously  spent  some  time  in  Europe  and  the  West  In- 
dies, and  had  devoted  himself  with  ardor  to  the  study  of  Civil  and 
International  Law  in  England,  France,  and  Germany.  He  was  one 
of  the  earliest  and  most  active  members  of  the  Eepublican  party, 
and  stumped  the  New  England  States  for  its  Presidential  candidate 
in  1856. 

In  1860  he  organized  the  "  Wide  Awake  "  movement  in  New 
York,  thus  giving  the  political  impetus  which  carried  the  State  for 
Lincoln.  No  one  who  was  engaged  in  that  campaign  will  forget  the 
wonderful  power  of  his  enthusiasm  and  personal  magnetism. 

In  November,  1860,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  accepted  the 
office  of  Adjutant-General  of  the  State  of  New  York,  with  the 
title  and  rank  of  Brigadier-General ;  being  the  youngest  man  who 
had  ever  held  this  most  important  post. 

Foreseeing  the  approaching  conflict  of  Secession,  in  January, 
1861,  under  the  direction  of  Governor  E.  D.  Morgan  of  New  York, 
he  demonstrated  before  a  committee  of  the  Legislature  the  necessity 
of  immediately  placing  the  forces  of  the  State  upon  a  war  footing. 
Events  proved  the  soundness  of  this  advice  ;  but  it  was  not  acted 
upon  until  the  month  of  April,  and  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Samter. 
At  that  time  he  was  named  president  of  a  committee  of  three,  charged 
to  prepare  a  bill  appropriating  three  millions  of  dollars  for  the  pur- 
chase of  arms  and  equipments.  The  duties  incumbent  upon  him  at 
this  time  wei-e  of  a  complicated  character  and  of  the  gravest  respon- 
sibility. He  acquitted  himself  in  sucli  a  manner  as  to  merit  and  re- 
ceive the  official  thanks  of  the  Secretary  of  War ;  who  congratulated 
him  upon  the  energy,  skill,  and  zeal  which  he  had  displayed  in  the 
organization  and  equipment  of  the  troops,  and  in  directing  them, 
under  the  orders  of  the  Governor,  without  delay  towards  the  seat  of 
war. 

In  February,  1861,  General  Eead  was  appointed  by  the  Governor 
to  preside  over  the  commission  charged  to  receive  and  compliment 
President  Lincoln  at  Buffalo,  and  to  escort  him  thence  to  the  capital 
of  the  State.  It  is  a  fact  worty  of  note,  just  here,  that  out  of  the 
number  of  persons  who  accompanied  President  Lincoln  at  that  time, 
only  three  were  in  the  cortege  which  attended  his  assassinated  body, 
while  lying  in  state  at  the  Capitol  in  Albany,  four  years  later,  on  its 
way  to  its  final  resting-place,  and  General  Read  was  one  of  these 
three  persona 

General  Read  has  made  himself  knoMTi  by  a  variety  of  scientific 

407 


JOHN     MEREDITH     READ,     JR. 

and  literary  pi-oductions,  which  have  established  his  reputation  in 
Europe  not  less  than  in  America,  and  gained  for  him  high  distinc- 
tion on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  Amongst  his  best  known  works 
may  be  cited  his  ''  Historical  Enquiry  Concerning  Henry  Hudson  ;" 
which  obtained  for  him  in  foreign  countries  numerous  and  warm  con- 
gratulations. He  had  early  been  named  member  of  the  principal 
historical  societies  of  our  own  country  ;  also  of  the  American  Philo- 
sophical Society,  founded  by  Franklin  in  1744  ;  corresponding  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Ethnological  Society ;  of  the  New  York  State 
Agi'icultural  Society ;  of  the  New  England  Historic  Genealogical 
Society  ;  and  finally  Honorary  Fellow  of  the  National  Academy  of 
Design — having  taken  an  active  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  the  lat- 
ter body,  and  in  freeing  it  from  taxation. 

In  1867,  on  the  proposition  of  the  President,  Lord  Talbot  de 
Malahide,  and  Sir  Bernard  Burke,  C.B.,  he  was  elected  to  tlie  Eoyal 
Irish  Academy  ;  being  the  youngest  member  of  this  learned  body. 
He  was  also  nominated  a  Fellow  and  Founder  of  the  Eoyal  Society 
of  Northern  Antiquaries  by  the  Prince  Royal  of  Denmark.  He  was 
complimented  and  thanked  in  the  same  year  by  the  French  Acad- 
emy, at  the  twofold  invitation  of  M.  Sainte  Beuve,  the  celebi'ated 
critic,  and  Count  de  Remusat,  now  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  of 
France.  At  the  same  time  he  received  the  thanks  of  the  English 
East  India  Company,  and  of  the  Russian  Company,  founded  by  Se- 
bastian Cabot  in  1555,  for  having  thrown  light  on  certain  obscure 
points  in  their  origin  and  primitive  histoiy.  Upon  his  instigation  a 
commission  was  appointed  by  the  British  Government  to  examine 
into  the  condition  of  the  marvellous  collection  of  historical  papers 
and  documents  anciently  possessed  by  the  latter  corporation  ;  docu- 
ments both  curious  and  precious,  as  illustrating  the  reigns  of  Ed- 
ward VI.  and  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  the  period  of  the  earliest 
diplomatic  and  commercial  relations  between  Great  Britain  and 
Russia. 

General  Read  is  a  member  or  Fellow  of  many  other  learned 
bodies ;  amongst  which  may  be  mentioned  the  "  Societe  de  Legisla- 
tion Comparee;  the  Societe  d' Anthropologic  of  Paris;  the  Geograph- 
ical Society  of  France;  the  Royal  Anthropological  Institute'  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland ;  the  Royal  Historical  Society  ;  the  Royal 
Archaeological  Institute  of  Gi'eat  Britain ;  and  the  Society  of  An- 
tiquaries of  London,  on  the  nomination  of  the  President,  Earl  Stan- 
bopa     He  has,  also,  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  foundation  of  the 

408 


JOHN     MEREDITH     READ,     JR. 

French  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science ;  and  was  a 
delegate  to  the  Congress  of  this  body  recently  held,  September, 
1872,  at  Bordeaux. 

General  Read  has  always  been  devoted  to  the  cause  of  education. 
He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  and  original  tiiistees  of  Cornell 
University;  which,  under  the  Presidency  of  the  Hon.  Andrew  D. 
White,  has  proved  an  entire  success.  To  this  institution,  which 
bears  his  name.  Senator  Ezra  Cornell  has  given  the  munificent  sum 
of  $800,000 ;  while  the  State  of  New  York  has  endowed  it  with  the 
Congressional  Land  Grant  amounting  to  one  million  of  acres,  which 
will  eventually  produce  several  millions  of  dollars.  Among  the 
distinguished  names  which  have  been  associated  with  this  great 
foundation  are  the  Hon.  E.  D.  Morgan ;  the  late  Hon.  Horace  Gree- 
ley ;  the  Hon.  William  Kelly ;  the  Hon.  George  William  Curtis ; 
Professor  James  Russell  Lowell,  and  Professor  Goldwin  Smith. 

General  Read  was  formerly  District  Chairman  of  the  Albany 
branch  of  the  American  Social  Science  Association,  and  President 
over  the  great  Congress  held  in  that  city  in  1868. 

In  1872  he  was  appointed  a  delegate  from  the  American  Asso- 
ciation to  the  Social  Science  Congi-ess  at  Plymouth,  England,  and 
was  made  a  Vice-President  of  that  body.  Lord  Napier  and  Ettrick 
being  President. 

Entertaining  a  legitimate  and  profound  respect  for  the  military 
genius  and  rare  executive  abilities  of  General  Grant,  at  the  end  of 
the  war  of  secession  General  Read  was  one  of  the  most  zealous  ad- 
vocates of  hi^  nomination  to  the  Presidency.  Later  he  took  an  ex- 
tremely active  and  important  part  in  the  campaign  which  resulted 
in  the  election  of  General  Grant  in  1868. 

As  a  recompense  for  the  sei"vices  which  he  had  rendered  his 
country,  General  Read  was  nominated  by  President  Grant  Consul- 
General  of  the  United  States  at  Paris  ;  and  the  appointment  was 
confirmed  by  the  Senate  on  the  16th  of  April,  1869. 

This  post,  of  a  complex  and  highly  responsible  character,  was 
created  by  Congress  in  the  month  of  March  previous,  and  General 
Read  was  the  first  person  who  filled  it 

The  Consulates-General  at  London  and  Paris  are  considered  as  posi- 
tions of  an  import,ance  equal  to  that  of  several  missions  established 
b}'  America  to  some  of  the  European  powers.  The  Consulate-Gen- 
eral at  Paris  is  charged  with  the  superior  direction  of  the  American 
Consulates  and   Consular  Agencie.s   throughout  France.     It  is  the 

409 


JOHN     MEREDITH     READ,     JB. 

Central  Bureau  from  whence  proceed  all  instructions,  and  to  ■which 
all  repoi-ts  are  addressed.  It  is  directly  responsible  for  its  acts  to 
the  Department  of  State  at  Washington. 

The  Franco-German  war  enlarged  General  Read's  sphere  of  ac- 
tion, and  created  for  him  new  duties  as  arduous  as  delicate,  and 
which  he  performed  with  ability,  energy,  and  tact 

On  this  subject  we  quote  from  a  French  authority :  "  The  name 
of  General  Eead  will  always  be  honorably  associated  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  Franco-German  war  of  1870-71,  and  that  of  the  two 
sieges  of  Paris.  Brave,  generous,  able,  untiring ;  always  ready  to 
meet  danger  and  to  assume  responsibility  ;  he  has  by  his  charitable 
deeds,  his  unwearying  kindness,  rendered  himself  dear  to  a  great 
number  of  persons  of  all  nationalities.  Joining  benevolent  acts  to 
sympathetic  words,  he  has  especially  acquired  a  durable  place  in  the 
affection  and  gratitude  of  the  French  people." 

For  nearly  two  years  General  Read  acted  not  only  as  Consul - 
General  of  the  United  States,  but  also  as  Consul-General  of  Ger- 
many for  France  and  Algeria,  and  directed  all  the  Consular  affairs 
of  that  nation,  including  the  protection  of  German  subjects  and  in- 
terests.    This  important  function  he  discharged  with  signal  fidelity. 

The  admirable  course  of  the  American  Government  and  its 
representatives  in  that  crisis  has  been  tbe  subject  of  frequent  and 
just  eulogy.  It  reflected  lustre  upon  the  American  name,  rendered 
incalculable  service  to  the  German  people,  and  was  so  discreetly  and 
delicately  performed  as  to  be  entirely  acceptable  to  France. 

In  the  labor  and  distinction  of  this  work  Genei;al  Read  fally 
shared.  The  President  recognized  his  services  as  entitled  to  equal 
mention  with  those  of  Minister  "Washburne  ;  saying  in  his  Annual 
Message :  "  It  is  just  to  add  that  the  delicate  duty  of  tliis  protec 
tion  has  been  perfoimed  by  the  Minister  and  Consul-General  at 
Pai'is,  and  the  various  Consuls  in  France  under  the  supervision  of 
the  latter.,  with  great  kindness,  as  well  as  with  prudence  and  tact" 

The  efHcient  discharge  of  this  double  mission  won  warm  expres- 
sions of  gratitude  from  the  German  Government  Both  Count  Wal- 
dersee  and  Count  d'Arnim  repeatedly  expressed  their  acknowledg- 
ments. 

In  a  letter  to  General  Read,  the  latter  German  Ambassador 
wrote  :  "  I  would  not  omit  to  express  to  you  once  more,  the  senti- 
ments of  gratitude  with  which   I   am  inspired  by  the  persevering 

solicitude  which  you  have  never  ceased  to  manifest,  in  procuring 

410 


JOHN     MEREDITH     BEAD,     JR. 

for  my  compatriots  the  protection  of  the  laws."  But  vigilant  as 
General  Read  was  in  guarding  the  rights  of  German  citizens,  he  at 
the  same  time  acted  so  honorably  and  with  so  much  tact  that  he  lost 
nothing  of  the  confidence  of  the  French  people  and  Government. 
As  an  illustration  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  in  Paris,  a 
single  ftxct  may  be  mentioned. 

In  April,  1872,  General  de  Cissey,  the  French  Minister  of  War, 
honored  him  with  an  invitation  to  form  and  preside  over  a  commis- 
sion to  examine  into  the  progress  made  by  the  officers,  stationed  at 
the  ilcole  Militaire,  in  the  English  language.  The  French  Govern- 
ment had  been  considei-lng  whether  it  should  not  abandon  this  course 
of  study. 

General  Read,  in  his  report,  advocated  not  only  its  retention,  but 
its  extension  throughout  the  army.  His  report  was  accepted,  and 
the  Minister  of  War  gave  orders  that  the  experiment  should  be 
widely  extended.  So  satisfactory  were  its  results,  that  after  a  sec- 
ond examination  and  report  by  General  Read,  the  scope  of  the  plan 
was  still  further  enlarged,  with  the  promise  of  entire  success,  and  Of 
being  eventually  applied  to  the  whole  army.  This  important  move- 
ment is  due  to  General  Read ;  and  the  French  Minister,  convinced 
of  its  wisdom,  expressed  his  thanks  in  the  following  complimentary 
terms : 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  express  to  you  my.  thanks  and  my  grati- 
tude for  having  been  willing  to  accept  the  Presidency  of  this  Com- 
mission, and  that  you  have  replied  to  my  appeal  with  so  perfect  a 
grace,  and  with  a  cordiality  which  has  profoundly  touched  me." 

General  Read's  devoticin  to  Americans  and  American  interests 
dunng  the  siege  and  the  Commune,  are  too  well  known  to  need 
mention  here.  His  patriotic  efforts  in  this  direction  have  been  re- 
peatedly commended  by  individuals,  by  the  press,  and  by  our  Gov- 
ernment 

During  the  latter  terrible  period  it  was  also  his  good  fortune  to 
be  able  to  protect  from  harm  various  Catholic  ecclesiastics,  as  well 
as  other  prominent  French  citizens.  He  had  in  his  keeping,  for 
nearly  a  year,  large  quantities  of  American  property ;  and  was  also 
the  guardian  of  the  precious  relics  and  heirlooms  of  the  descendants 
of  General  Lafayette. 

This  sketch  would  be  incomplete  without  a  reference  to  the  gen- 
erous hospitalities  which  General  Read  has  extended  to  persons  of 
all  nationalities,  doling  his  residence  in  France.     Wo  can  in  no  bet- 

411 


JOHN     MEREDITH     READ,     JR. 

ter  way  illustrate  this  than  by  quoting  from  an  American  journal; 
which  says:  "General  Read  has  been  especially  attentive  to  Amer- 
icans visiting  the  brilliant  French  capital ;  and  all  have  come  away 
from  the  enjoyment  of  his  refined  courtesies  with  the  most  agreeable 
recollections  of  their  accomplished  dispenser,  and  his  charming  wife, 
whose  courageous  conduct  in  the  midst  of  the  most  fearful  scenes, 
did  infinite  honor  to  American  womanhood." 

In  personal  address  General  Read  does  infinite  credit  to  his  dis- 
tinguished ancestors.  Elegant  and  refined  in  manners ;  courteous 
and  pleasing  as  a  companion  ;  entertaining  and  instructive  in  con- 
versation, and  kind  and  generous  in  disposition. 

In  style  of  person  he  is  something  of  the  Saxon,  with  light  brown 
hair  and  dark  gray  eyes ;  tall  and  of  rather  slight  build,  with  a  de- 
cided military  carriage. 

41^ 


Jr^fcait 


JESUP  WAKEMAN   SCOTT. 

By  J.  Alexander  Patten. 


Jf^r€~\A-  HE  -living  Western  pioneers  of  to-day  can  review  a 
"1^^4'  spectacle  of  national  progi-ess  which  is  indeed  wonder- 
In^^r'^'^'  ^^^-  ^o^^S  foi'tli  ^om  tlie  populous  regions  of  the 
(ImM'M^^^  East,  they  penetrated  into  the  then  wilderness  of  the 
mStSI^^  country,  which  in  less  than  the  span  of  their  lives  has 
become  the  home  of  thrilty  millions.  The  same  eyes  which 
.  saw  the  foot -prints  of  the  Indian  and  wild  beast  now  behold 
fertile  farms  and  queenly  cities ;  and  the  same  hands  which  smote 
the  primeval  trees  ar.d  upturned  the  virgin  furrows,  may  now  rest  in 
the  enjoyment  of  the  wealth  which  civilization  and  entei-prise  have 
created.  The  same  intelligence  which  penetrated  with  prophetic 
vision  the  destiny  of  these  solitudes,  now  delights  itself  with  the 
grandeur  of  its  fulfilled  predictions  ;  and  the  same  individuals  who 
planted  and  nourished  the  new  settlements  yet  remain  to  give  them 
the  crowning  honor  of  being  seats  of  education.  In  the  wonders  of 
all  nature,  and  in  the  dreams  of  all  fancy,  where  is  the  scene  which 
approaches  in  sublimity  to  this  panorama  of  actual  life  and  history. 
And  well  may  we  envy  the  men  whose  lot  it  has  been  thus  to  grap- 
ple with  the  terrors  and  trials  of  the  frontier,  and  to  be  spared  thus 
to  contemplate  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  present  time.  We 
now  turn  to  the  biographical  facts  which  have  induced  this  particular 
train  of  reflection. 

Jesup  Wakeman  Scott  was  born  at  Eidgefield,  Conn.,  February 
25,  1799.  His  ancestors  were  chiefly  descendants  of  the  New  Haven 
Colony  stock — the  Wakemans',  Banks',  Bradleys',  Jesups',  Smiths',  ■• 
Benedicts',  Lobdells',  etc.  Up  to  the  age  of  fifteen  he  worked  on  his 
father's  farm  during  the  summer,  and  in  the  winter  attended  the  dis- 
tiict  school.  Commencing  at  sixteen,  he  was  a  school  teacher,  at  in- 
tervals, in  New  Canaan,  Conn.,  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  Augusta,  Ga.,  and 
Columbus,  S.  C.     In  this  profession  he  was  successful  and  useful 

41;; 


JESUP     WAKEMAN     SCOTT. 


lie  also  studied  medicine  and  law,  the  former  in  1817  and  1818,  in 
South  Carolina,  the  latter  in  Aiigusta,  Ga,,  and  Litchfield,  Conn., 
from  1819  to  1822.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Georgia,  in  the 
Spring  of  1822,  and  to  that  of  South  Carolina  later,  in  the  siimeyear. 
With  entire  aptitude  in  tlie  acquirements  of  the  principles  of  law,  he 
did  not  engage  in  its  pi-actice  with  the  same  facility.  A  few  months' 
trial  in  Augusta,  a  few  years  in  South  Carolina,  chiefly  in  Columbia, 
as  partner  of  the  late  eminent  Chief  Justice  O'Neal,  made  nearly  the 
sum  total  of  his  experience  in  that  business.  He  early  found  his  pen 
much  more  efficient  than  his  tongue.  He  became  a  frequent  and 
popular  writer  in  the  local  papers  of  South  Carolina,  pi'incipally  in 
support  of  tiie  national  views  then  entertained  by  Mr.  Calhoun,  and 
in  opposition  to  the  State  Rights  school  of  politicians,  who  were  then 
opposed  by  this  eminent  leader.  In  1828,  O'Neal  having  been  elect- 
ed judge,  and  anti-national  feeling  becoming  very  warm,  Mr.  Scott 
closed  his  law  office  and  took  the  position  of  teacher  in  the  State  Fe- 
male College  in  Columbia.  He  had  married  in  May,  1824,  Miss 
Susan  Wakeman,  of  Southport,  Conn. 

While  in  the  performance  of  the  pleasant  duties  of  his  position 
at  the  College,  his  mind  in  intervals  of  daily  work,  was  most  active 
in  the  study  of  the  geography  of  his  country,  and  his  enthusiasm 
was  aroused  by  the  conviction  that  the  tide  of  migration  to  the  fer- 
tile States  lying  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  would  rapidly  build  up 
great  States  and  cities  in  that  section.  He  felt  a  strong  impulse  to 
join  in  its  development  and  participate  in  its  prosperity. 

In  the  summer  of  1830  Mr.  Scott  left  the  South,  with  his  wife  and 
two  sons,  and  returned  to  Southport,  Conn.  In  the  following 
spring  they  removed  to  Florence,  Huron  County,  Ohio,  where  his 
father-in-law,  Jesup  Wakeman.  had  an  extensive  tract  of  wild  land. 
Being  in  poor  health,  he  worked  a  farm  for  a  season,  but  soon  after 
fell  into  his  natural  vocation  with  the  pen,  and  started  a  monthly 
paper  entitled  The  Ohio  and  illchigan  Register  and  Emigrant's  Guide, 
devoted,  as  its  title  imports,  to  the  dissemination  of  facts  concerning 
the  new  States.  It  likewise  discussed  Mr.  Scott's  then  very  original 
views  of  the  ultimate  predominance  of  the  interior  States  and  cities 
in  population  and  wealth  over  the  Atlantic  States  and  cities.  He 
was  thus  the  first  to  present  and  promulgate,  more  than  forty  years 
ago,  this  opinion  in  regard  to  the  comparative  development  of  the  in- 
terior and  seaboard.  He  also  published  what  is  probably  the  true  origin 
of  the  prairies  east  of  the  Mississippi,  if  not  of  all  grassy  plains  ; 

414 


JESUPWAKEMAN     SCOTT. 

jind  also  the  real  cause  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  great  lakes  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  water-shed.  The  Monthly  was  published  in  Norwalk 
for  one  year. 

Mr.  Scott,  in  June,  1832,  visitel  the  Maumee  river,  having 
long  before  by  his  map  studies  satisfied  himself  that  at  the  west-end 
of  lake  Erie  would  grow  up  one  of  the  largest  cities  of  tlie  countiy. 
The  small  amount  of  money  at  his  disposal,  about  three  hundred 
dollars,  was  invested  in  making  the  down  payment  on  seventy  acres 
of  land,  now  in  the  center  of  the  city  of  Toledo,  but  then  half  wild 
woods  and  half  farm.  There  were  at  that  tune  a  log  warehouse  at 
the  mouth  of  Swan  creek,  a  few  shanties  nearby,  and,  a  mile  or  more 
down  the  river,  the  brick  residence  of  Major  Stickney,  an  old  Indian 
tradei-  and  a  man  of  intelligence  and  property,  but  there  was  not 
even  a  village  where  Toledo  now  standi  In  the  Spring  of  1833 
Mr.  Scott  removed  his  family  and  all  his  household  property  in  a 
"  Pennsylvania  Wagon,"  traversing  what  was  then  known  as  the  Black 
Swamp,  to  Perrysburg  on  the  Maumee,  that  being  a  thriving  village 
and  a  county-seat  Here  he  essayed  again  to  practice  law,  and  was 
elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  the  County.  In  1834  he  and  Henry 
Darling,  a  brother-in-law,  established  a  weekly  newi^paper,  the  first  in 
Northwestern  Ohio,  entitled  The  Miami  of  the  Lake,  this  apijella'.iou 
being  at  that  time  the  government  name  lor  the  Maumee  river. 
About  this  date  the  tide  of  real  estate  speculation  was  beginning  to 
spread  over  the  "West,  and  Mr.  Scott  found  in  it  the  very  wave  of 
immigration  he  had  imagined, .  and  he  rode  upon  it  With  small 
means  but  great  hope,  he  invested  with  spirit  in  what  were  then 
deemed  the  most  promising  sites  for  cities  on  the  Maumee,  so  that  at 
the  end  of  three  years,  in  1836,  he  was  considered  a  wealthy  man. 
The  collapse  of  1837  pricked  the  bubble  of  his  wealth  ;  but  by  close 
economy  during  succeeding  years,  he  retained  most  of  his  property, 
greatly  reduced  in  value,  and  was  in  this  respect  an  exception  to 
most  of  the  land  operators  of  that  time.  Supposing  himself  very 
wealthy  in  1836,  he  had  purchased  the  most  elegant  place  on  Golden 
Hill,  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  but  when  the  disasters  of  1837  came,  he 
promptly  gave  it  up  and  returned  that  autumn  to  Maumee  City. 

It  was  here  that  he  began  a  series  of  articles  on  "  Internal  Trade," 
which  were  so  bold  and  original  in  their  theory,  and  so  bristling  with 
statistical  facts  that  they  challenged  immediate  and  wide  attention. 
The  theory  was  the  one  before  alluded  to,  that  the  tendencies  and 
growth  of  interior  commerce  v;ould  build  up  the  greatest  cities  of  the 

413 


JESUF     WAKEMAN     SCOTT. 

continent  in  the  interior,  and  that  somewhere  in  the  valley  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, or  in  the  valley  of  the  gi-eat  lakes,  would  be  one  of  the  greatest 
cities  of  the  world.  Thefiretof  these  articles  which  attracted  general 
attention  was  in  the  Hesperian,  a  monthly  published  in  1838,  at  Co 
lumbus,  Ohio,  and  edited  by  William  D.  Ghalagher  and  Otway  Curry. 
The  same  scope  of  thought  in  various  side  channels  was  elaborated 
during  succeeding  years,  undei-  various  heads,  in  the  Merchants'  Maga- 
zine, of  New  York,  and  De  Bow's  Bevieiv,  of  New  Oi'leans,  all  copi- 
ously illustrated  by  carefully  elaborated  statistics.  Mr.  Scott  became 
so  prominent  as  a  statistical  writer,  that  when  the  Canadian  Canals 
around  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence  were  iu  contemplation,  he 
was  visited  by  some  of  the  leading  Canadian  officials  for  information 
concerning  the  commerce  that  would  be  tribufciry  to  them,  and  for 
many  years  he  was  considered  the  highest  authority  on  matters 
pertaining  to  the  internal  commerce  of  the  country. 

In  1844  Mr.  Scott  removed  to  Toledo  and  assumed  the  editorial 
charge  of  the  Toledo  Blade,  and  soon  after  he  became  the  senior 
proprietor,  and  was  connected  with  it  for  several  years.  In  1856  he 
changed  his  residence  to  Castleton,  on  the  Hudson,  near  Albany, 
wliere,  in  the  enjoyment  of  work  on  a  lovely  home,  he  still  found 
abundant  leisure  to  furnish  occasional  articles  for  the  Trade  Maga- 
zines and  the  New  Yoi-k  Evening  Post ;  and  finally  to  mature  a  pam 
phlet  embodying  his  views  on  the  "  Growth  of  Cities."  This  pam 
phlet  was  published  in  1868,  under  the  title  of  "The  Future  Great 
City  of  the  World,"  and  attracted  general  attention  and  some  ridicule 
from  those  who  did  not  read  it  carefully  enough  to  comprehend  its 
generalizations.  The  most  striking  trait  of  Mr.  Scott's  mind  is  shown 
in  the  bold  advocacy  of  opinions  in  advance  of  the  current  opinion 
of  his  time,  great  ability  in  generalizations,  and  the  most  thorough 
elaboration  of  statistics  to  fortify  them.  Edwin  J.  Friedley,  an  au- 
thor of  a  practical  treatise  on  business,  speaking  of  good  locations 
for  investments,  gives  this  statement:  "J.  W.  Scott,  Esq.,  whos<? 
statesman-like  mind  can  extend  to  the  loftieit  generali2:ation  from  a 
basis  of  the  most  carefully  selected  facts,  and  one  of  th  •  obliging, 
big-hearted  men  of  the  West,  gives  a  good  deal  of  valuable  informa- 
tion on  this  subject"  This  is  followed  by  letters  written  by  Mr. 
Scott. 

Many  years  ago  Mr.  Scott  donated  to  the  city  of  Toledo  a  portion 
of  the  beautiful  grounds  on  which  the  Central  School  building  now 
stands.     On  the  21st  of  October,  1872,  he  wrote  a  deed  of  tnist  to 

416 


JESUP     WAKEMAN     SCOTT. 

a  corporation  formed  at  his  instance,  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land,  valued  at  eighty  thousand  dollars,  for  the  founding  of  a  Uni- 
versity to  be  called  the  "Toledo  University  of  Arts  and  Trades." 
He  defines  the  range  and  objects  of  the  institution  in  these  words  : 

"  This  conveyance  is  made  to  the  said  Trustees  in  irust  for  the 
following  objects  and  purposes,  and  subject  to  the  following  condi- 
tions, to  wit:  To  establish  an  institution  for  the  promotion  of  knowl- 
edge in  the  Arts  and  Trades  and  the  related  sciences,  by  means  of 
lectures  and  oral  instruction ;  of  models  and  representative  works 
of  art ;  of  cabinets  of  minerals  ;  of  museums  instructive  of  the 
mechanic  arts  ;  and  of  whatsoever  else  may  serve  to  furnish  artists 
and  artisans  with  the  best  fecilities  for  a  high  culture  in  their  re- 
spective occujjations,  in  addition  to  what  are  furnished  by  the  Public 
Schools  of  the  city.  Also  to  furnish  instruction  in  the  use  of  pho- 
nographic characters  and  to  aid  their  introduction  into  more  general 
use,  by  writing  and  printing ;  and  also,  to  encourage  health-giving, 
invigorating  recreations.  All  the  advantages  of  the  institution  shall 
be  free  of  cost  to  all  j^upils  who  have  not  the  means  to  pay  ;  and  all 
others  are  to  pay  such  tuition  and  other  fees  and  charges  as  the  Trus- 
tees may  require,  and  be  open  alike  to  puj^ils  of  both  sexes." 

The  trustees  nominated  by  Mr.  Scott,  to  whom  the  execution  of 
the  project  is  entrusted,  are  ten  in  number,  of  whom  three  are  his 
SODS,  three  City  and  State  officials,  and  the  others  persons  eminent 
for  educational  knowledge  and  public  spirit.  Alluding  to  this  muni- 
ficent gift,  the  editor  of  the  Toledo  Commercial  Weekly  says  :  "  We 
cannot  here  speak  of  as  many  features  of  this  noble  enterprise  as 
we  would  like ;  but  trust  that  the  facts  and  suggestions  presented 
will  be  sufficient  to  enlist  in  its  behalf  the  earnest  sympathy  and  sup- 
port of  the  citizens.  With  so  auspicious  a  start  it  would  seem  that 
it  cannot  fail."  It  is  the  part  of  his  life  devoted  to  such  purposes  of 
benevolence  that  Mr.  Scott  contemplates  with  the  greatest  satisfac- 
tion. 

The  student  of  biography  may  surely  find  in  the  one  here  repre- 
sented the  well-applied  intelligence  and  energies,  the  personal  virtues 
and  complete  success  which  are  the  most  interesting  types  for  study. 
In  all  of  his  relations  to  his  fellow-men,  and  the  development  of  his 
country,  Mr.  Scott  stands  clothed  with  those  powers  of  brain  and 
energy  which  are  not  only  irresistible  in  their  work,  but  impart  to 
the  biographical  page  its  greatest  fascination. 

417 


v^ 


THOMAS  ALEXANDER   SCOTT. 


HE  rapid  growth  of  our  railway  system  has  required 
rare  ability  to  anticipate  and  provide  for  its  wants  ; 
and  in  this  practical  school  have  grown  up  many  men 
whose  talents  are  conceded,  and  some  few  who  are  ac- 
knowledged to  be  masters  of  their  calling.  It  is  ad- 
mitted that  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Thomas  Alexander 
Scott,  holds  a  prominent  position  among  them.  More  than 
thirty  years  of  his  life  have  been  passed  in  the  service  and  manage- 
ment of  public  highways,  the  last  twenty  years  with  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  Company,  now  one  of  the  leading  railway  corpora- 
tions of  the  United  States  ;  and  it  may  be  of  interest  to  briefly 
trace  the  career  of  one  who  has  been  brought  so  prominently  before 
the  public. 

He  was  born  in  London,  Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania,  De- 
cember 28th,  1823,  and  received  his  education  at  the  village  school 
of  that  place.  When  ten  years  old  he  began  work  in  a  country 
store  near  Waynesboro',  and  afterwards  was  employed  at  Bridgeport 
and  Mercersburg,  in  his  native  county,  until  1841.  He  then  went 
to  Columbia,  Pennsylvania,  and  entered  the  office  of  the  Collector 
of  Tolls  upon  the  State  road  and  canals,  and  continued  in  connec- 
tion with  the  State  improvements  until  1851. 

In  these  small  beginnings  he  laid  the  foundation  of  his  future 
progress,  and  proved  what  success  can  be  achieved  by  natural  ability 
and  steady  industry.  All  who  then  knew  him  testify  to  his  clear, 
prompt  manner  of  transacting  business,  and  to  that  energy  and 
directness  which  win  confidence  and  respect.  These  are  qualities 
which  have  grown  with  the  man,  and  are  the  keys  to  the  position 
he  has  secured. 

He  became  connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  in  1851, 
being  stationed  at  the  Junction  near  Hollidaysburg,  and  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  business  of  the  Company  passing  over  the  Portage 
Road  and  the  Western  Division  of  the  State  Canal.     As  portions 

419 


THOMAS    ALEXANDER    SCOTT. 

of  the  Western  Division  of  the  Raih-oad  were  constracted,  their 
operation  was  assigned  to  him,  and  when  it  was  completed  and 
opened  for  traffic  he  was  appointed  its  Superintendent,  with  his  office 
at  Pittsburgh.  He  so  continued  till  1858,  when  he  was  made 
General  Superintendent  of  the  line  from  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh, 
and  stationed  at  Altoona. 

In  18G0,  on  the  death  of  Mr.  William  B.  Foster,  Vice-President 
of  the  Company,  he  was  elected  to  succeed  him,  and  for  over  ten 
years  has  now  discharged  the  responsible  and  arduous  duties  con- 
nected with  that  office.  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  has  grown  in 
that  time  from  a  single  line  of  356  miles  in  length  to  be  the  leading 
line  of  the  country,  with  branches  and  leased  roads  under  its  control, 
aggregating  over  four  thousand  miles,  and  stretching  to  the  Ohio, 
the  Mississippi,  and  the  great  lakes.  A  traffic  that  then  amounted 
to  a  little  over  half  a  million  of  tons,  and  that  seemed  so  large  that 
men  were  laughed  at  who  predicted  that  a  decade  would  treble  it, 
now  reaches  nearly  six  millions  of  tons,  and  is  growing  so  surely  and 
rapidly  that  it  is  difficult  to  set  bounds  to  it  in  the  coming  years. 
As  these  results  have  been  attained,  official  cares  and  responsibili- 
ties have  multiplied  in  like  proportion,  until  they  tax  to  the  ut- 
termost even  the  active  brains  and  tireless  energy  of  the  many 
vigorous  minds  that  are  brought  to  their  discharge. 

The  scant  equipment  which  graced  the  main  line  when  in  the 
possession  of  the  State,  anrl  which  was  then  ample  for  its  business, 
has  developed  into  hundreds  of  engines  and  tens  of  thousands  of 
cars  ;  and  the  employees  now  in  its  service  would  form  an  army. 

The  prosperity  of  this  great  corporation  has  been  shared  with 
the  State  whose  name  it  bears.  Local  interests  have  been  fostered, 
local  business  encouraged,  and  everything  possible  done  to  show  that 
the  interests  of  the  people  and  the  railway  were  inseparable,  and 
that  the  advantage  of  the  one  was  the  profit  of  the  other.  Branches 
have  been  built  into  the  valleys  to  develop  the  iron,  coal,  lumber, 
oil,  and  other  resources  of  the  State,  which  have  added  largely  to 
its  wealth,  and  also  served  to  feed  the  main  line ;  and  the  same 
wise  foresight  has  been  quick  to  perceive  the  value  of  connecting 
lines,  and  by  timely  securing  them,  control  the  trade  of  large  sec- 
tions of  country,  and  bring  increased  earnings  to  the  parent  Com- 
pany. In  all  these  matters  Mr.  Scott  has  aided  Mr.  Thomson  by 
taking  an  active  part  in  their  consummation,  and  a  reference  to  the 
annual  reports  will  show  what  entire  success  has  followed  this  policy. 


THOMAS    ALEXANDER    SCOTT. 

By  purchase  or  lease  many  leading  interests  within  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  have  been  harmonized,  and  the  Northern  Cential, 
Cumberland  Valley,  Philadelphia  and  Erie,  the  Erie  and  Pittsburgh^ 
and  other  lines  are  thus  worked  with  the  utmost  economy  and  effi- 
ciency to  secure  one  general  result.  Outside  the  State  this  same 
policy  has  necessitated  at  times  the  most  prompt  and  decisive  ac- 
tion ;  and  in  these  emergencies  the  singularly  clear  perception  and 
executive  ability  of  Mr.  Scott  have  shown  to  rare  advantage. 

When  many  doubted  the  wisdom  of  aiding  the  Western  lines, 
he  was  emphatic  in  its  favor,  and  the  possession  of  the  shortest 
routes  to  the  South-west  and  North-west,  with  the  resulting  ad- 
vantages over  rival  lines,  has  signally  proved  the  soundness  of  the 
policy  adopted  by  the  Company. 

Eival  routes  to  St.  Louis  and  Chicago  have  thus  been  brought 
under  the  same  management,  and  quite  recently,  for  the  more  sim- 
ple and  effectual  working  of  the  lines  west  of  Pittsburgh,  a  com- 
pany has  been  chartered,  with  Mr.  Scott  as  its  President,  to  which 
has  been  confided  their  future  management.  It  is  confidently  be- 
lieved that  all  the  investments  of  the  parent  company  west  of  Pitts- 
burgh will  be  made  to  pay  fair  profits,  and  at  the  same  time  greatly 
enhance  the  value  of  the  main  road  by  the  yearly-increasing  volume 
of  traffic  secured  to  it. 

Yet  all  this  seems  not  to  bring  work  enough,  for  Mr.  Scott  at 
the  present  time  is  President  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  1,0.32 
miles  in  length,  the  organization  of  which  is  to-day  one  of  the  most 
thorough  and  efficient  in  the  country.  Mr.  Scott  is  also  Chairman 
of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Texas  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany, where  he  is  charged  with  many  grave  responsibilities  ;  and 
in  time,  no  doubt,  the  Grreat  Route  by  the  32d  parallel  will  be  an 
accomplished  fact. 

With  all  the  labor,  however,  thus  thrown  upon  him,  he  has  not 
become  impatient,  but  preserves  that  genial  manner  which  is  so  rare 
a  gift  with  our  over-driven  public  men.  He  has  the  happy  faculty 
of  refusing  gracefully  ;  and,  with  the  numberless  calls  upon  him  of 
every  nature  and  kind,  reasonable  and  unreasonable,  this  is  certainly 
of  no  mean  value.  His  rapid  dispatch  of  business  has  become 
almost  a  household  word  ;  and  he  is  fortunate  in  the  fact,  that  with 
work  once  done,  he  is  able  to  dismiss  it  utterly,  and  on  leaving  his 
office  to  leave  all  business  cares  behind  him.  Of  course,  this  is 
partly  due  to  a  vigorous  physique  which  seems  to  defy  toil,  but 

431 


THOMAS    ALEXANDER    SCOTT. 

partly  also  to  an  elastic  temperament  which  never  regrets  what  is 
imalterable,  but  is  busy  in  devising  new  schemes  to  accomplish  a 
desired  end. 

Absorbed  as  Mr.  Scott  has  been  with  the  duties  of  his  i-ailway 
position,  he  yet  often  added  to  its  responsibilities  during  the  war, 
in  compliance  with  requests  from  the  President  and  the  Secretary 
of  War. 

In  1861,  he  directed  the  reconstruction  of  the  road  from  Annap- 
olis, which  opened  communication  with,  and  did  much  to  aid  the 
troops  that  saved  the  National  Capital ;  and  when,  in  the  Fall  of 
that  year,  the  services  of  an  experienced  railroad  official  were  re- 
quired to  supervise  and  direct  the  transiwrtation  of  our  armies,  he 
became  Assistant  Secretary  of  War,  charged  with  many  special 
duties.  His  abilities  here  had  full  play,  and,  in  addition  to  the 
ordinary  routine  of  office  duties,  he  did  invaluable  work  in  restoring 
and  perfecting  lines  of  communication,  and  in  providing  facilities 
for  moving  large  masses  of  troops  to  points  threatened  bj'  the  enemy. 

He  served  in  this  capacity  under  Secretaries  Cameron  and 
Stanton  till  the  fall  of  1862,  when  he  returned  to  Philadelphia, 
honored  by  the  confidence  of  every  department  of  that  Government 
for  which  he  had  so  faithfully  labored. 

He  was  again  called  into  service  by  the  Secretary  of  War, 
Stanton,  after  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  to  go  to  Louisville  and 
aid  in  the  movement  of  the  11th  and  12th  Corps  via  Nashville,  to 
the  relief  of  Rosecrans  at  Chattanooga  ;  in  a  few  days  the  Army  of 
the  Tennessee  was  so  reinforced  as  to  be  able  to  drive  in  full  retreat 
the  enemy  who  had  held  it  in  so  perilous  a  position. 

Mr.  Scott  has  never  taken  any  part  in  politics.  The  labors  of 
his  life,  as  connected  with  his  official  railway  duties,  have  been  so 
incessant,  that  he  has  had  no  time  to  give  to  the  party  questions  of 
the  hour 

He  numbers  among  his  warmest  friends  the  most  determined 
political  opponents ;  but  this  is  no  longer  a  matter  of  surprise, 
when  one  learns  how  ready  he  is  to  do  a  kindness,  and  how  gener- 
ously he  places  what  he  has  at  the  service  of  others.  Though 
overwhelmed  with  engagements,  he  has  always  time  to  aid  the  im- 
fortunate,  and  his  charities  are  numberless. 

Mr.  Scott  is  still  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  has  before  him  in  all 
probability  many  years  in  which  to  add  to  his  record,  and  set  an 
example  worthy  of  imitation  by  the  young  men  of  the  country. 

433 


E.  DELAFIELD   SMITH. 

By  GEORGE  P.  ANDREWS. 

Aulntant-.'Mtornei/  of  Ike  United  States  duHng  the  official  terms  of  District- Attorneys  Theodon 
Sedgioick,  James  I.  Roosevelt,  E.  Delafield  Smil/i,  and  Daniel  S.  Dickinson. 


i^5  T  was  the  glory  of  the  United  States  that,  as  early 
^"'^'^i^   as  the  year  1820,  their  national  Congress  declared 
S#?  the  slave-trade  piracy,  and  threatened  its  infamous 
1    participants  with  the  penalty  of  death.      It  was  the 
^  shame  of  the  Republic  that  from  that  time  till  18G1,  a 
period  of  forty-one  years,  a  law  which  the  publicists  of  the 
_  world  had  eulogized  remained  a  dead  letter.     Ships  had 

been  seized  and  mariners  arrested  ;  naval  officers  had  been  active 
and  marshals  demonstrative ;  but  no  prosecuting  officer  had  fol- 
lowed the  one  to  condemnation  and  sale,  nor  the  other  to  conviction 
and  execution.  It  was  reserved  to  E:  Delafield  Smith,  District- 
Attorney  of  the  United  States  at  New  York  during  the  adminis- 
tration of  Abraham  Lincoln,  a  young  and  untitled  lawyer,  to  bring 
to  the  scaffold,  after  the  iniquity  of  a  third  voyage,  the  captain  of 
a  slave-ship. 

Humanity  had  long  demanded  a  terrible  example  to  deter  cupid- 
ity from  this  cruel  crime.  The  difficulties  of  proof  and  the  per- 
versities of  juries  had  become  proverbial,  and  public  sentiment  did 
not  then  coincide  with  the  severity  of  the  declared  penalty.  The 
law  had  been  pronounced  by  men  of  legal  eminence  too  defective  m 
detail  to  admit  of  enforcement.  Tliis  very  culprit  had,  in  1860, 
been  offered  immunity  from  the  punishment  of  death  if  he  would 
plead  guilty  and  accept  a  commutation  of  sentence  to  mere  im- 
prisonment. To  bring  him  to  justice  required  ability,  energy,  per- 
sistency, a  power  of  persuasion,  rare  courage,  and  perfect  integrity. 
The  result,  in  the  execution  of  Nathaniel  Gordon,  master  of  the 
elave-ship  "  Erie,"  is  at  once  a  monument  to  the  public  services 
and  a  key  to  the  character  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Its  con-- 
sequences  to  the  country,  at  a  time  when  foreign  nations  were 
seeking  to  intervene  against  us  in  our  late  struggle  for  national 
existence,  upon  the  ground  that  in  our  lust  for  dominion  we  were 

433 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

indiiferent  to  the  question  of  slavery,  were,  at  the  time,  acknowl- 
edged by  the  press  of  Europe.  In  an  oration,  delivered  in  the  City 
of  New  York,  February  22d,  1862,  the  historian  George  Biincroft 
referred  to  this  celebrated  case  in  the  following  language  : — "  The 
centuries  clasp  hands,  and  repeat  it  one  to  another !  Yesterday 
the  sentiment  of  Jefferson,  that  the  slave-trade  is  a  piratical  war- 
fare upon  mankind,  was  re-affirmed  by  carrying  into  eiFect  the  sen- 
tence of  a  high  tribunal  of  justice  ;  and  to  save  the  lives  and  protect 
the  happiness  of  thousands,  a  slave-trader  was  executed  as  a  pirate 
and  an  enemy  of  the  human  race." 

From  a  genealogical  pamphlet  prepared  by  a  relative  of  Mr. 
Smith,  we  learn  that  his  father  was  Doctor  Archelaus  G.  Smith, 
long  an  eminent  physician  and  surgeon  in  Western  New  York, 
who  with  meager  advantages  rose  from  a  farmer's  son  to  a  man  of 
scientific  acquirements — assiduous,  iipright,  and  benevolent.  In 
perfecting  himself  in  his  profession,  he  attended  in  the  City  of  New 
York  the  medical  lectures  of  Dr.  Edward  Delafield,  and  named  his 
son  after  that  distinguished  man. 

E.  Delafield  Smith  was  born  at  Eochester,  New  York,  May  8th, 
1826.  The  family  removed  to  the  City  of  New  York  when  he  was 
ten  years  of  age.  "  He  is  a  New  York  boy,"  used  to  say  old  Aldei- 
man  James  Kelly,  formerly  of  the  Fourth  Ward,  and  more  recently 
Postmaster  of  the  city,  "for  I  have  seen  him  roll  hoop  on  the 
Battery  and  play  marbles  in  the  City  Hall  Park." 

In  the  earliest  years  of  the  settlement  of  this  country,  the  grand- 
father of  Dr.  Smith  emigrated  from  England  to  Connecticut,  being 
one  of  two  brothers,  the  otlier  of  whom  settled  in  Virginia.  Both 
were  planters.  The  names  of  his  maternal  ancestors  were  Preston 
and  Bundy.  The  latter  name  was  derived  from  the  forest  of  Bondy, 
near  Paris,  the  Bundys  being  among  the  adventurers  who  accom- 
panied William  the  Conqueror  to  England,  subsequently  turning 
farmers  and  settling  in  Kent.  The  American  progenitor  came  over 
witli  Governor  Wintlirop  in  1630.  The  immediate  ancestors  of 
Doctor  Smith  fought  in  the  American  Eevolution,  and  he  was  him- 
self a  surgeon  in  the  War  of  1812.  On  the  maternal  side,  Mr.  Smith 
is  a  descendant  of  the  Boughtons,  an  English  family,  originally 
from  Wales.  His  mother's  maternal  ancestor  was  a  Penoyer,  a 
family  which  left  France  for  England  in  the  time  of  Louis  the 
Fourteenth,  at  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes.  To  Robert 
Penoyer,  Harvard  University  owed  one  of  its  early  endowments ;  and 

424 


E.   DELA FIELD    SMITH. 

a  scliolarship  in  that  college  still  belongs  to  the  descendants. 
Jared  Bouglitou,  Mr.  Smith's  maternal  grandfather,  a  man  of 
integrity,  intelligence,  and  enterjirise,  emigrated  from  old  Stock- 
bridge,  Massachusetts,  to  the  country  of  the  Genesee,  in  Western 
New  York.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  civilization  in  that 
region.  His  wife  was  the  first  white  woman,  and  his  eldest  daugh- 
ter— the  mother  of  Delafield  Smith,  a  woman  of  superior  intelli- 
gence— the  first  white  child  ever  in  Victor,  in  the  county  of  Ontario, 
where  "  Boughton  Hill "  was  one  of  the  oldest  settlements.  This 
was  in  1790.  Deer  were  then  plenty,  and  bears  and  wolves  were 
then  often  seen,  in  a  wilderness  whicli  now  wears  no  trace  of  savage 
life.  A  journey  from  Massachusetts  to  Western  New  York  was,  at 
that  period,  accomplished  in  winter  by  sleighs,  and  in  summer  on 
horseback,  men  and  women  being  borne  over  the  streams  upon  the 
ice  in  January  and  upon  the  saddle  in  July. 

During  his  childhood,  Delafield  was  half  the  year  upon  the  farm 
of  his  maternal  grandfather  (where  he  imbibed  a  love  of  rural  scenes, 
of  horses,  and  of  stock  which  has  never  deserted  him),  and  for  the 
remainder  of  the  year  a  student  in  one  of  the  severest  of  seminaries, 
located  at  Rochester,  where  he  acquired  a  hatred  of  the  exactions 
of  a  school  which  ever  afterward  confirmed  his  characteristic  impa- 
tience of  arbitrary  restraints.  But  he  was  a  good  reader,  and  his 
infant  declamation,  in  a  church  of  that  place,  at  the  age  of  eight, 
at  a  school  exhibition,  was  long  remembered. 

In  New  York,  the  old  Quaker  school  of  Solyman  Brown,  iu 
Broadway,  below  Broome  street,  the  grammar-school  of  the 
University,  Coudert's  French  Academy  at  Wheatsheaf,  New  Jer- 
sey, and  a  New  England  seminary  at  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts, 
were  his  haunts  up  to  the  commencement  of  his  college-course. 

Entering  the  New  York  University,  under  Theodore  Freling- 
huysen,  Tayler  Lewis,  Draper,  Loomis,  Johnson,  Henry,  and  other 
eminent  professors,  he  was  the  poet  of  his  class,  and,  by  the  com- 
mon testimonials  of  both  teachers  and  students,  its  best  writer  and 
speaker.  He  has  since  returned  to  tliis  institution  as  a  professor 
in  its  faculty  of  law. 

Graduating  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  pursued  his  legal  studies, 
first  with  an  elder  brother,  and  subsequently  in  the  offices  of  R.  M. 
&■  E.  H.  Blatchford,  Judge  William  Kent,  and  Judge  Henry  E. 
Davies.  In  1848,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in  January, 
1849,  commenced  alone  the  practice  of  his  profession.     In  1851,  he 

425 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

fi)rmecl  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Smith  Clift ;  and  suhsequently 
with  Mr.  Isaac  P.  Martin  and  Mr.  Augustus  F.  Smith — the  latter 
being  his  brother  aud  a  man  of  professional  distinction.  Perhaps 
no  legal  business  in  the  City  of  New  York  has  been  more  lucrative 
than  that  in  which  he  participated  for  many  years  in  the  partner- 
ship last  mentioned. 

Four  large  volumes  of  selected  judicial  decisions  were  published 
by  him  from  1854  to  1859.  These  are  widely  Icnown  to  the  legal 
profession  of  the  country,  and  are  often  cited,  under  the  name  of 
E.  D.  Smith's  Reports. 

With  a  solid  reputation  as  a  mercantile  lawyer,  j^ecuniarily 
independent,  and  deeply  interested  in  public  afiairs,  he  accepted,  in 
April,  1861,  the  position  of  law-oflicer  of  the  United  States  in 
New  York,  and  at  the  close  of  a  term  of  four  years  resumed  the 
ordinary  practice  of  his  profession. 

With  the  exception  of  the  United  States  District-Attorneyship, 
and  also  excepting  the  use  of  Mr.  Smith's  name,  in  1859,  in  con- 
nection with  the  position  of  Counsel  to  the  Corporation  of  New 
York,  he  has  never  accepted  office,  nor  permitted  his  friends  to 
seek  it  for  him.  On  one  occasion,  in  1869,  the  Republican  party 
of  the  metropolis,  in  a  canvass  confessedly  hopeless,  bestowed  their 
full  suffrages  upon  him  for  District-Attorney  of  the  State,  and 
many  not  of  his  political  affinities  added  their  votes.  But  it  has 
been  his  practice  to  decline  both  executive  appointments  and  party 
nominations,  frequently  given  or  tendered,  for  county,  legislative, 
judicial,  and  congi'essional  positions. 

An  account  of  the  public  services  of  Mr.  Delafield  Smith  during 
the  four  years  of  his  official  term  as  District-Attorney  and  Counsel 
of  the  United  States  at  New  York  would  involve  the  writing  of  a 
judicial  history  of  the  nation  during  the  most  momentous  period  of 
its  existence.  It  is  simply  true  and  just  to  say,  that  his  successes 
before  courts  and  juries  in  vindicating  the  laws  of  the  land  were 
unprecedented.  In  a  four-years'  term,  for  example,  he  procured 
six  capital  convictions — six  verdicts  involving  the  death  penalty — 
against  a  number  no  greater  obtained  for  thirty  years  immediately 
preceding  his  term,  and  none  since.  At  the  same  time,  no  prose- 
cuting officer  was  ever  more  glad  to  drop  a  prosecution  the  itistant 
the  least  gleam  of  innocence  appeared,  or  the  moment  any  exercise 
of  mercy  seemed  reconcilable  with  the  demands  of  public  justice. 
The  young,  the  poor,  and  the  first  offender  were  often  released, 

while  the  more  powerful  culprit  was  relentlessly  pursued. 

426 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

Notwithstanding  the  extraordinary  demands  of  legal  business 
growing  out  of  tlie  war,  the  civil  litigations  of  the  Government,  and 
esjjecially  its  revenue  suits,  were  constantly  pressed ;  and  the  sums 
annually  realized  were  matter  of  remark,  at  the  time,  for  their 
number  and  magnitude. 

The  office  is  one  of  multifarious  duties,  which  cannot  be  per- 
formed by  any  one  individual  without  well-drilled  assistants.  Its 
greatest  need  is  an  organizing,  administrutive,  executive  ability  in 
its  chief.  And  this,  among  his  other  qualifications,  was  recognized 
in  Mr.  Smith  by  all  who  had  business  with  the  office. 

The  condemnations  procured  in  the  cases  of  the  British  steam- 
ers Peterhoff,  Springbok,  Stephen  Hart,  and  others,  dealt 'a  blow 
at  trade  with  the  Southern  insurgents,  carried  on  through  Nassau, 
Matamoras,  and  other  intermediate  points,  wliile  like  forfeitures 
were  inflicted  upon  the  owners  of  domestic  ships  and  cargoes 
attempting  to  sail  with  similar  destinations  and  purposes.  We 
pass  with  less  particular  mention  the  earlier  prize-cases  of  the 
Hiawatha  and  others,  in  which  Mr.  Smith,  contrary  to  his  custom, 
employed  associate  counsel. 

Among  the  celebrated  cases  successfully  conducted  may  be 
mentioned  that  of  the  rich  capitalist  Kohnstamm,  where,  with  val- 
uable aid,  frauds  upon  the  Government  amounting  in  their  ramifi- 
cations to  half  a  million  dollars  were  exposed,  and  an  exam])le 
made  which  saved  to  the  national  feasury  millions  more.  We 
may  also  refer  to  the  convictions  procured  by  Mr.  Smith  of  John 
U.  Andrews,  the  leader  of  the  New  York  rioters  in  July,  1863; 
the  Parkhill  murderers ;  the  negro  Hawkins,  hanged  for  the  butch- 
ery of  a  ship's  master;  the  Italian  man-slayer,  Dimarchi ;  the 
Port  Jervis  and  East  New  York  counterfeiters  ;  to  cases  of  cruelty 
to  seamen,  and  of  mutinies  against  officers  ;  convictions  and  for- 
feitures for  frauds  upon  the  customs  and  the  internal  revenue. 

The  prosecutions  under  the  laws  for  the  suppression  of  the 
slave-trade  did  not  stop  with  the  execution  of  the  Captain  of  the 
Erie.  The  imprisonment  of  the  merchant  Albert  Horn  for  fitting 
out  slave-ships  ;  the  conviction — after  juries  under  Mr.  Smith's 
predecessors  had  twice  disagreed— of  Rudolph  Blumenburg  for  per- 
jury, as  a  surety  for  the  discharged  slave-ship  Oiion;  the  sentence 
of  a  number  of  mates  ;  the  condemnations  of  the  Kate,  the 
Weathergauge,  the  Nightingale,  the  Sarah,  and  the  Augusta;  the 
narrow  escape  from  the  gallows  of  Haines  and  Westervelt  by  a 

427 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

disagreement  of  juries,  standing  nine  and  ten  to  three  and  two  for 
convictions — all  taiight  the  new  lesson  that  seizures  and  arrests 
naeant  unsparing  prosecutions.  Without  enumerating  other  cases, 
it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  in  a  few  months  the  foreign  slave-trade 
was  forever  extirpated  from  the  port  of  New  York. 

To  the  wives  of  Union  prisoners  and  the  widows  of  deceased  sol- 
diers, Mr.  Smith,  throughout  his  term,  rendered  systematic  and 
gratuitous  services  in  procuring  the  jmyment  of  dues  and  pensions, 
and  saving  the  deductions  and  delays  of  the  systems  of  claim-agency. 

From  the  age  of  eighteen,  Delafield  Smith  has  been  widely 
known  as  a  terse,  strong,  and  stirring  public  speaker. 

The  following  extract  from  the  commencement  and  the  close  of 
his  published  address,  July  10th,  1863,  in  the  case  of  the  Peterhoff, 
is  a  specimen  of  the  clear  and  direct  style  in  which  he  addresses  a 
legal  argument  to  a  court  without  a  jury: 

Extract   fbom  Akguiient   to   the   Court  in  the  Case   op  the 

Petbrhofp. 

"May  it  please  the  Court — This  case  ia  clothed  with  profound  interest  in  the 
public  mind,  both  of  Europe  and  America.  It  is  brought  to  the  bar  of  a  court, 
commissioned  by  the  Government  of  a  great  country,  and  cliarged  with  the  deter- 
mination and  application  of  international  law.  Not  solely  individuals,  but  nations, 
are  parties  to  this  controversy.  Not  alone  an  august  judicial  tribunal  at  Washing- 
ton, but  the  imperial  courts  of  a  distant  continent  will  sit  in  review  of  the  judg- 
ment which  shall  be  pronounced  here.  Yet  the  testimony  spread  upon  this  record 
is  within  a  narrow  scope.  The  faata  marshaled  before  us  are  few.  A  decision 
may  be  reached  without  straining  tlie  eye  in  search  of  precedents,  beyond  such 
familiar  adjudications  as  have  long  ago  sunk  to  tlio  level  margin  of  an  elementary 
treatise.  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  consequences  of  magnitude  have  become  entangled 
In  the  issue.  But  for  them  the  world  might  well  wonder  that  so  simple  a  case 
should  have  so  aroused  the  populace  of  one  coitntry,  and  so  interested  the  publi- 
cists of  many. 

"  Was  the  recent  enterprise  of  the  Peterhoff  honest  or  fraudulent  ?  Was  her 
voyage  lawful  or  illegal  ?     Was  her  destination  real  or  simulated  ? 

"■  In  deciding  the  issue  involved  in  this  capture  two  classes  of  facts  demand 
attention.  First,  such  as  are  of  a  public  character,  too  general  to  require  specific 
proof,  and  sutficiently  notorious  to  come,  of  their  own  force,  within  the  range  of 
unaided  judicial  cognizance.  And,  secondly,  those  established  by  the  testimony 
taken  in  preparatorio,  consisting  of  the  responses  of  witnesses  to  the  standing  in 
terrogatories  administered  by  the  prize  commissioners,  together  with  such  light  as 
an  inspection  of  the  ship's  papers  and  of  her  cargo  may  throw  upon  the  intent  of 
those  by  whom  her  course  has  been  directed. 

"  In  the  summer  of  1861  the  foundations  of  this  land  trembled  with  an  earth- 
quake of  territorial  war.  The  country  was  aroused  as  from  a  sleep.  Guards,  of 
her  own  appointment,  still  lingering  in  her  high  places,  were  prepared  to  trample 
out  her  life  if  she  lay  still,  and  to  assassinate  her  if  she  arose.    Perjured  treachery 

428 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

aud  audacious  force  vied  with  each  otlier  to  destroy  a  Government  which  discov- 
ered its  worst  enemies  amongst  the  most  pampered  and  caressed  of  the  children  of 
her  protection.  The  war  was  not  for  a  boundary,  a  province,  or  a  form  of  govern- 
ment. Its  purpose,  sorrowfully  seen  at  home,  was  to  annihilate  the  unity  and  life 
of  the  nation.  Its  consequences,  greedily  predicted  abroad,  were  to  open  the  l>est 
portion  of  the  Western  Hemisphere  to  iusolent  foreign  footsteps,  which  periodically 
humiliate  the  States  of  Mexico  and  South  America.  It  was  a  rising,  not  to  over- 
throw tyranny,  but  to  establish  it.  Guilty  leaders  and  deluded  communities 
affected  to  reproduce  the  drama  of  the  American  Revolution,  making  oppression 
perform  now  the  part  tliat  liberty  enacted  then. 

"  Words  aud  acts  of  attempted  conciliation  were  wasted.  Awakened  to  its  own 
defense,  the  Government  is  forced  at  length  to  the  arbitrament  of  war.  The 
Executive  establishes  a  blockade  of  the  insurrectionary  ports.  The  Emperor  of 
the  French,  dreaming  of  his  personal  aggrandizement,  and  hating  the  principles 
of  republican  government,  weaves  wily  arts  for  our  embarrassment ;  and  Britain, 
without  his  excuses,  green  with  jealousies  which  our  ovations  to  her  prince  should 
have  cleansed  away,  whets  with  the  stone  of  national  animosity  the  cupidity  of 
her  tradesmen.  Government  and  people,  emulating  each  the  bad  faith  of  the 
other,  hasten  to  confer  rights  upon  one  belligerent  and  to  heap  wrongs  upon  the 
other.  Ships,  clad  in  iron,  start  from  her  docks  to  prey  upon  the  merchant  marine 
of  a  friendly  power,  while  vessels  crowd  the  harbor  of  New  York  flying  the  red 
signals  of  England,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  flag  which  was  once  the  i>rotectiou  of 
American  commerce.  In  defiance  of  the  public  law  of  the  world,  English  bottoms 
infest  our  Southern  seas,  violate  the  belligerent  right  of  blockade,  and  bear  food, 
medicines,  and  arms  to  the  enemies  of  human  freedom,  and  of  stable  government. 

"  Such  was  the  situation  of  public  affairs,  when  the  naval  forces  and  the  federal 
courts  of  the  United  States,  the  one  with  untiring  energy,  the  other  with  intelli- 
o-ent  firmness,  surrounded  with  increasing  hazards  the  bold  breaches  of  blockade, 
and  the  wholesale  indulgences  in  contraband  trade,  with  which  this  unnatural 
conflict  was  fostered  and  prolonged. 

"  Then  cunning  greed  invoked  frauds  and  subterfuges,  to  do  by  indirection  what 
had  proved  at  length  too  dangerous  and  impracticable  for  the  open  arts  of  enterprise. 
The  little  harbor  of  Nassau,  in  the  island  of  New  Providence  ;  the  port  of  Carde- 
nas, on  the  northerly  coast  of  Cuba  ;  and,  at  last,  the  unfrequented  region  of  xMata- 
moras,  in  Mexico,  are  magnified  into  vast  marts  of  trade,  and  become  the  rivals  of 
Liverpool,  Havre,  and  New  York.  Ships  of  ponderous  tonnage  traverse  the  seas, 
and  swarm  in  the  vicinity  of  these  inconsiderable  places.  Owners,  shippers,  and 
masters,  with  remarkable  effrontery,  claim  that  they  are  centers  of  substantial, 
legitimate,  and  independent  trade.  At  the  same  time,  the  common  sense  and  com- 
mon knowledge  of  the  world  acknowledge  that  they  are  mere  stopping-places  and 
ports  of  trans-shipment,  by  or  through  which  munitions  of  war  and  articles  of 
necessity,  of  comfort,  and  of  luxury,  may  be  carried  from  the  British  Isles  tiT  the 
insurgent  section  of  the  American  Union.  So  the  British  bark  Springbok  sets 
her  chaste  sails  for  Nassau.  So  the  British  schooner  Stephen  Hart  turns  an 
honest  face  toward  Cardenas.  And  thus,  we  say,  the  steamer  Peterhoff  inirsues 
her  virtuous  pathway  to  Matamoras.  But  the  rough  sailor  follows  in  the  track  of 
each.  He  sees  through  the  thin  disguises.  He  thrusts  aside  the  flimsy  vail.  Ho 
arrests  the  pretender,  and  sends  her  where  she  must  submit  to  the  scrutiny  of  a 
court  of  j  ustice. 

"  In  the  light,  then,  of  the  notorious  fraud,  the  simulation,  the  circuity,  the 
indirection,  with  which  this  contraband  trade  to  the  Southern  ports  has  been  pro- 

il29 


E.    DEL  AFIELD    SKiTH. 

jected  and  persisted  in,  we  approach  the  proofs  in  the  case  now  under  considera- 
tion. No  intelligent  examination  of  the  testimony  now  before  us  can  be  attempted 
without  a  recognition  of  the  public  facts  to  which  I  have  adverted. 

"Sailing  under  such  circumstances,  it  mixst  be  conceded  that  the  Peterhoflf,  if 
guilty,  wuiild  shroud  he:  purpose  in  the  depths  of  dissimulation  ;  and,  if  innocent, 
would  fail  iu  no  mark  of  frankness.  We  shall  observe,  in  the  course  of  our  inquiry, 
how  much  sho  has  displayed  of  the  one  and  how  little  of  the  other." 

Want  of  space  compels  us  to  omit  the  body  of  the  argument. 
The  following  are  the  closing  sentences: 

"  A  vigorous  administration  of  the  public  law,  both  of  blockade  and  of  contra- 
band of  war,  has  been  maintained  by  Great  Britain  in  aid  of  her  own  wars,  as  well 
those  that  were  unjust  as  those  that  were  just.  It  is  the  right  of  nations.  The 
American  Government  will  not  surrender  it — never,  certainly,  in  a  conflict  for  its 
existence.  It  is  vital  to  an  early  and  thorough  suppression  of  the  war  of  insurrec- 
tion which  has  desolated  so  large  a  portion  of  its  territory. 

"  Rebellion,  indeed,  exhibits  '  waning  proportions ;'  but  it  cannot  be  speedily 
subdued  and  extirpated,  unless  want  and  privation  exhaust,  while  armies  over- 
throw. We  march  upon  an  extended  country,  sparsely  populated,  without  any 
one  geographical  or  commercial  key  to  its  military  or  political  power.  It  has  no 
Gibraltar,  no  SebastojX)!,  no  Paris,  no  London,  and  no  New  York.  The  end, 
indeed,  is  certain.  The  national  authority  will  be  established,  vindicated,  enlarged. 
But  that  consummation  will  be  near  or  far,  as  the  law  of  nations,  violated  without 
home  rebuke  by  British  tradesmen,  shall  be  sustained  and  executed  by  judicial 
tribunals. 

"  The  speedy  establishment  of  freedom  and  order  upon  tMs  continent,  and  the 
consequent  termination  of  a  bloody  war,  is  the  aspiration  of  patriotism  here,  and 
of  humanity  the  world  over.  The  achievement  of  a  good  so  substantial  and  so 
general  may  be  promoted  or  retarded  liy  the  lessons  which  cases  like  this  shall 
teach  as  well  to  the  merchants  and  statesmen  of  Europe  as  to  the  power  which 
maintains,  and  the  people  who  suft'er  from  the  Great  Rebellion." 

Before  a  jury,  Mr.  Smith  is  earnest  and  impressive.  On  the 
trial  of  one  of  the  mates  of  the  slave-ship  Nightingale,  before  Jus- 
tices Nelson  and  Shipman,  the  defense  was  represented  by  Charles 
O'Conor,  James  T.  Brady,  and  John-  McKeon,  who  had  brought 
out  in  the  testimony  the  fact  that  the  defendant  was  the  son  of  a 
wealthy  gentleman  of  Staten  Island,  and  a  grandson  of  a  former 
Vice-President  of  the  United  States.     Mr.  Smith  said : 

"  Against  crime  clearly  proved,  respectability  is  not  a  valid  plea.  As  regards 
the  prisoner,  his  surroundings  certainly  furnish  no  excuse  for  this  felonious  outer- 
prise.  As  respects  his  example,  they  add  tenfold  to  the  public  mischief  of  his  acts. 
It  is  not  easy  to  keep  a  common  sailor  from  a  .slave-bark,  when  such  as  he  lead  the 
way.  You  can  hardly  blame  poor  Jack  for  thrusting  slaves  into  the  loathsome 
hold,  while  gentlemen  mates,  as  proved  in  the  evidence  here,  keep  tally  on  the 
deck!  Dissatisfied  with  the  paternal  home  on  the  slopes  of  Staten  Island,  he 
aspires,  perhaps,  to  build  for  his  own  pleasure,  in  the  metropolis  itself,  a  mansion 
with  the  gains  of  adventures  which  involve  the  transportation  of  human  beings 
from  their  homes  in  Africa  to  the  strange  coast  of  Cuba,  in  stifling  pens,  beneath 

■130 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITU. 

tropic  suns,  with  the  actual  calculatiun,  founded  upon  terrible  experience,  that  if 
iwo-thirds  die  and  one-third  land,  the  venture  is  a  fair  snccesal  Might  it  not  have 
occurred  to  him  that  a  fortune  so  constructed  would  trouble  his  future  dreams 
with  insufferable  remorse  ?  Ought  it  not  to  have  been  plain  to  his  intelligence 
that  the  carved  columns,  the  expanded  arches,  the  dizzy  domes  of  a  palace  so 
erected,  would  in  a  future  guilty  imagination  rest,  for  their  caryatides,  upon  the 
shoulders  of  slave  men,  the  breasts  of  slave  women,  an  '  the  bodies  of  slave  children? 
O  God !  How  many  costly  stone  structures  raise  their  ornamented  fronts  impu- 
dently to  Heaven,  while  their  foundations  are  laid — literally  laid — in  Hell  1" 

Upon  returning  to  general  practice,  Mr.  Smith  achieved  profes- 
sional successes  against  the  Government  almost  as  important  as 
those  which  he  had  officially  gained  in  its  favor.  For  instance, 
in  the  mercantile  case  of  Benkard  and  Hutton  against  KSchell,  late 
Collector  of  the  Customs,  to  recover  duties  paid  under  p-otest,  he 
obtained  from  judge  and  jury,  in  the  United  States  courts,  the 
reversal  of  a  class  of  statute-constructions  immediately  involving 
several  millions  of  dollars.  The  Treasury  Department,  en-oneously 
believing  that  Mr.  Smith's  experience  in  revenue  law  had  taken 
the  then  District  Attorney  at  a  disadvantage,  demanded  a  new  trial, 
and  sent  an  officer  from  Washington  to  aid  in  the  defense.  The 
result  of  the  second  adjudication  was  the  establishment  of  princi- 
ples which  required  a  still  larger  refund  of  illegally  exacted  duties. 
The  case  is  now  an  established  precedent,  and  its  just  determina- 
tion is  matter  of  felicitation  among  the  importing  merchants  of  the 
country.  The  following  is  extracted  from  a  stenographic  report  of 
the  first  trial : 
ExoRDiDM  OF  Closing  Addbess  to  the  Jort,  before  Judge  Smallet, 
IN  THE  Case  of  Benkard  and  Hutton  against  Schbll, 
Collector  or  the  Customs. 

"  May  it  please  the  Court,  and  you.  Gentlemen  of  the  Jury — The  dark  day  of 
battle  and  rebellion  is  ended.  The  laws,  long  silent,  again  lift  up  their  voices. 
The  national  tribunals  of  justice,  wearied  with  long  contests  between  neutral  and 
belligerent,  once  more  give  access  to  the  citizen  as  well  as  to  the  Government. 
Neither  may  now  assume  to  be  above  the  law. 

"  With  the  serene  reign  of  order  and  tranquillity  at  length  restored,  may  we 
not  pause  or  a  moment  to  pay  a  passing  tribute  to  those  in  the  council  and  the 
field,  to  whom  that  restoration  is  due.  And  in  this,  shall  we  not  remember  that  in 
the  darkest  days  of  all,  when  the  national  credit  was  almost  exhausted,  and  the 
national  treasury  well  nigh  collapsed,  the  one  was  restored  and  the  other  replen- 
ished by  the  generous  action  of  the  merchants  of  New  York  ? 

"  Shall  it  be  said  that  the  gratitude  of  the  Government  to  them  finds  its  sole 
expression  in  a  rude  denial  of  legal  rights  on  the  one  hand,  and  in  vexatious  prose- 
cutions for  penalties  and  forfeitures,  sustained  by  unfounded  imputations  of  fraud 
on  the  other  ? 

"  Shall  it  not  rather  be  said  that,  having  in  vain  petitioned  for  justice  at  Gov- 
ernmental departments,  they  at  last  have  sought  and  found  it  in  the  courts  of  their 

431 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH 

c>iintry?  And  when  that  justice  shall  have  been  administered,  may  they  not 
proudly  remember  that  it  was  awarded  by  a  judge  who  found  in  the  circle  of  his 
j  iidicial  action  ways  effectually  to  aid  his  country  in  her  life  and  death  struggle, 
and  at  the  same  time  inexorably  to  guard  against  infraction  every  provision  of  the 
law,  and  every  line  of  the  Constitution,  even  in  the  midst  of  the  din  of  arms  ?" 

From  the  published  speeches  of  Mr.  Smith,  we  insert  in  full 

the  following  brief  specimen  of  a  popular  appeal : 

Adprkss   at   Union    Square,  at  the  W  ar  Meeting,  called  by  the 

Committees  of  the  New  York  Chamber  op  Commerce,  this  Common 

Council,  the  Union  Defense  Committee,  and  other  Bodies,  in 

Kesponbe  to  an  Appeal  op  the  President  of  the  United 

States  for  additional  Military  Forces. 

[Extracted  from  a  printed  report  of  tho  proceediugg,  prepared  under  the  Bupcrvieion  of  the 
Secretary  of  tlic  Chamber  of  Commerce.] 

■'  Mr.  Smith,  being  introduced  by  General  Fremont,  who  presided  at  the  stand 
near  the  Spingler  Institute,  was  received  with  great  enthusiasm,  and  spoke  as 
follows : 

"  Men  of  Neio  York — This  is,  in  truth,  a  colossal  demonstration.  The  eye  can 
hardly  reach  the  boundaries  of  these  compact  thousands.  It  would  be  vain  for  the 
voice  to  attempt  it.  The  people  have  come  in  their  might.  They  have  come  in 
their  majesty.  They  have  '  come  as  the  winds  come  when  forests  are  rended.' 
They  have  '  come  as  the  waves  come  when  navies  are  stranded.'  We  are  here  to- 
day, not  to  speak  and  acclaim,  but  to  act  and  incite  to  action.  We  know  that  this 
monster  Rebellion  cannot  be  spoken  down  ;  it  must  be  fought  down. 

"  We  are  assembled  to  animate  each  other  to  renewed  efforts  and  nobler  sacri- 
fices, in  behalf  of  our  imperiled  country.  There  is  hardly  one  of  us  who  has  not, 
at  this  hour,  some  endeared  relative  on  the  bloody  fields  of  Virginia.  The  voices 
of  our  armed  and  suffering  brethren  literally  cry  to  us  from  the  ground.  To-day 
we  hear  them.  To-day  let  us  heed  them.  The  call  for  fresh  troops  cornea  to  us 
from  a  loved  and  trusted  President — from  faithful  and  heroic  generals.  This  day 
determines  that  it  shall  be  answered.  Let  each  act  as  though  specially  commis- 
sioned to  obtain  recruits  for  a  sacred  service. 

"Fremont  is  here.  You  have  heard  his  voice.  He  has  told  us  to  uphold  our 
GovernnuDt  and  eustaiu  our  generals  in  the  field.  Whatever  officer  may  go  to 
battle  with  the  President's  commission  will  be  made  strong  by  a  loyal  people's 
prayers  and  confidence. 

"  The  Army  and  Navy,  the  President,  the  Cabinet  and  the  Congress,  have  done 
all  that  can  now  be  effected  by  them.  The  issue  to-day  is  with  the  people.  Do 
you  ask  activity  on  the  part  of  the  President?  Recall  his  personal  labor  and 
supervision  in  the  council  and  the  field.  Do  you  seek  a  policy?  Look  to  his 
solemn  conference  with  tho  loyalists  of  the  border  States.  Do  you  demand 
legislation?  Witness  the  matured  laws  that  Congress  has  spread  upon  the 
statute-book.  A  jurist,  from  the  bench  of  our  highest  tribunal,  once  declared  a 
maxim  which  shocked  the  country  and  the  world.  It  is  ours,  with  our  represen- 
tatives, to  respond  :  A  rebel  has  no  rights  which  a  white  man  is  hound  to  respect. 

"  A  traitor  cannot  own  a  loyalist  of  any  race.  Nor  can  '  service  be  due '  to 
national  conspirators,  except  at  the  call  of  public  justice. 

"  The  limits  of  civilized  warfare  must  and  will  be  observed;  but  those  limits 
are  broad  as  the  boundaries  of  the  ocean,  and  they  lie  far  beyond  the  lives  and 
the  treasure  of  traitors  in  arms.     In  this  mortal  combat  between  the  enemies  and 

432 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

the  Erienda  of  republican  liberty,  wherein  treason  scruples  at  notliing,  patri'>t9 
must  neglect  no  means  tbat  God  and  nature  have  placed  in  their  hands. 

"  These  institutions  were  reared  on  the  ruins  of  Britisli  pride.  '1  heir  foundations 
must  be  reconstructed  on  the  crumbled  pretensions  of  Southern  oligarchs.  We 
must,  and  we  will,  repel  force  by  force.  They  who  press  an  iron  heel  upon  the 
heart  of  our  noble  nation,  miist  perish  by  the  sword  of  her  avenging  sons.  God 
grant  the  time  may  be  near  when  every  rebel  leader  may  say  liis  prayers,  and 
bite  the  dust,  or  hang  as  high  as  Haman.  If  we  are  wise,  and  true,  and  brave, 
the  American  Union,  like  the  sun  in  the  heavens,  shall  be  clouded  but  for  a  night. 
Still  shall  it  move  onward,  and  every  obstacle  in  its  pathway  be  withered  and 
crushed. 

"Victory,  indeed,  cannot  be  won,  except  by  arms.  Our  institutions  were  the 
gift  of  the  wounded  and  dead  of  the  armies  of  Washington.  Shakespeare  said, 
and  we  re-utter  in  a  higher  sense, 

'  ThiDgs  bought  with  Wood  must  be  by  blood  m/iiatained.' 

"  Look  to  our  armies,  and  rally  the  people  to  swell  their  wasted  ranks.  Go 
you  who  can.  And  spare  neither  labor  nor  money  to  enable  others  to  march  to 
battle. 

"  Let  loyal  men  permit  no  question  to  distract  or  divide  them.  Care  not  what 
a  man's  theories  may  be,  so  that  his  heart  feels  and  his  hand  works  for  the  Union. 
Every  citizen,  North  or  South,  who  prays  for  the  success  of  our  arms  and  who 
labors  for  the  vindication  of  our  Constitution,  whatever  may  be  his  politics  or 
opinions,  is  a  i)atriot.  They  who  condemn  any  class  of  our  fellow-citizens,  because 
of  diffe^renccs  on  collateral  issues — those  who  declare  that  a  loyal  abolitionist  is  on 
a  level  with  an  armed  secessionist — are  wrong  iu  head,  or  at  heart  unsound. 

"  Let  assertions  like  this  be  at  an  end.  Let  all  loyal  men,  and  all  loyal  jour- 
nals, aljandon  arguments  which  bear  the  dull  and  counterfeit  ring  of  traitor 
philosophy. 

"  For  the  rest — for  those  who  not  alone  seem,  but  are,  disloj'al — let  the  people 
arise  in  their  might,  and  silence  them  all,  whether  they  speak  in  the  street  to  the 
few,  or  seek,  through  the  public  press,  to  poison  the  many.  Law  in  many  things 
cannot  go  so  far,  nor  accomplish  so  much,  as  determined  public  opinion.  While 
men  in  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  with  manly  courage,  strike  in  their  dis- 
tricts at  the  hydra  of  rebellion,  shall  not  we,  in  New  York,  war  upon  the  spirit  of 
secession  in  every  form?  The  old  flag  must  be  the  paramount  object  of  all.  It 
will  be  loved  by  the  faithful.     By  the  false,  it  must  be  feared. 

"They  talk  of  a  distinction  between  fidelity  to  the  Government  and  devotion  to 
the  Administration.  In  the  day  of  national  danger  or  disaster,  the  two  sentiments 
are  inseparable.  Distrust  him  who  professes  the  one  only  to  disclaim  the  otlier. 
When  the  tempest  howls,  no  prayer  breathed  for  the  ship  forgets  the  pilot  at  her 
helm. 

"  Loyalty  knows  no  conditions.  Stand  by  the  government !  Scrutinize  its 
action  ;  but  do  it  like  earnest  patriots — not  like  covert  traitors.  Stand  by  the  adminis- 
tion!  In  times  like  these,  party  spirit  should  be  lulled.  That  spirit  was  huslied 
in  the  era  of  the  Revolution — in  the  days  of  Madison  and  Monroe — and  when  the 
hero  of  New  Orleans  crushed  the  rising  form  of  Nullification.  Our  fathers  stood 
by  Jackson  as  their  sires  sustained  Washington.  It  is  our  privilege  to  uphold  the 
arm  of  a  President,  great  and  pure,  who  will  share  their  glory  on  the  page  of 
history. 

"I  must  trespass  no  longer.  No,  fellow-citizens;  I  will  bid  you  farewell. 
Our  illustrious  Secretary  of  State  has  this  day  given  to  the  army  the  only  son 

433 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

not  already  in  the  public  service.  Let  us  emulate  liis  spirit  of  sacrifice,  and  think 
nothing  too  dear  to  offer  on  the  altar  of  our  country." 

Mr.  Smith  spoke  with  a  loud,  clear  voice,  and  retired  in  the 
midst  of  most  enthusiastic  cheering. 

The  following  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  gifted  and  lamented 
James  T.  Brady  was  delivered  at  a  meeting  of  the  bar  in  New 
York,  in  February,  1869,  and  we  find  it  published  with  the  i)ro- 
ceedings  ; 

SPEECH   OP  B.    DELAFIELD   SMITH   ON   THE  DEATH   OP  JAMES  T.    BRADY. 

"  Mr.  President— I  know  well  that  occasions  like  this  are  best  adorned  by  those 
who  bring  to  them  the  dignity  of  years,  the  luster  of  learning,  the  glory  of  re- 
nown. And  I  rejoice  that  while  the  scythe  of  death  has  been  busy  in  our  midst, 
peers  of  our  illustrious  friend  still  remain  to  honor  his  obsequies.  Yet  it  must  be 
acknowledged  that  James  T.  Brady  possessed  characteristics,  extroardinary  in 
degree,  if  not  in  kind,  calculated  to  inspire  and  to  justify,  in  younger  and  humbler 
members  of  his  profession,  a  desire  to  press  forward  and  stand  among  the  foremost 
at  his  bier. 

"Juniors  and  even  juvenals  at  the  bar;  asjiirants  upon  the  very  threshold  of 
manhood  ;  youths  still  lingering  in  academies  and  schools  ;  and  little  children,  ten- 
der as  those  our  Saviour  caressed,  were  as  dear  to  his  presence  as  the  most  accom- 
plished of  the  crowned  intellectual  princes  with  whom  it  was  his  pride  to  cope  in 
the  forum  and  his  delight  to  mingle  in  social  festivities. 

"  To  all  who  approached  him  in  his  life  rang  out  the  welcome  of  his  cheerful 
voice.  By  its  dying  echoes  all  alike  are  summoned  to  his  tomb.  The  greatest 
who  kneel  there  must  make  room  for  the  least.  If,  at  the  home  so  lately  his, 
where  we  looked  upon  his  face  for  the  last  time;  if,  from  the  coffin,  which  was 
buried  in  flowers  before  the  cold  earth  had  leave  to  press  it.  his  eyes  could  have 
opened  and  calmly  vievced  the  scene — no  floral  harp,  no  cross  nor  crown,  however, 
beautiful  or  elaborate,  would  have  won  a  sweeter  smile  than  the  simplest  wreath 
that  struggled  for  its  place  in  the  general  profusion. 

"  His  kindness  and  courtesy  were  universally  bestowed  ;  and,  in  view  of  this,  it 
is  remarkable  that  they  were  so  singularly  acceptable  and  flattering  to  every  indi- 
vidual who  came  within  their  reach.  But  they  were  a  matter  of  heart,  not  of 
manner — too  respectful  to  offend,  too  genuine  to  be  resisted.  As  the  generous  light 
of  the  sun  may  illumine  half  the  world,  yet  the  rays  that  fall  on  us  seem  peculi- 
arly our  own  ;  so  the  genial  glow  of  his  kindness  cheered  us  all,  and  yet  each  feh 
himself  the  special  recipient  of  his  favor. 

"  There  were  times,  however,  when  his  generosity  became  marked  and  demon- 
strative. It  was  interesting  to  observe  with  what  judgment  and  taste  it  even  then 
was  guarded  and  directed.  In  the  celebrated  trial  of  the  '  Savannah  Privateers' — 
to  which  a  preceding  speaker  referred  with  great  kindness  to  both  the  living  and 
the  dead — where  we  felt  the  blows  which  he  delighted  to  deal  upon  a  prosecution, 
he  was  associated  with  some  eminent  advocates,  and  also  with  some  unknown  to 
professional  fame  or  experience.  In  his  matchless  address  to  the  jury,  he  repeated, 
with  careful  credit,  some  of  the  arguments  which  these  humbler  allies  had  used, 
and  paid  them  a  tribute  of  praise  not  less  just  in  conception  than  delicate  in  ex- 
pression. Of  four  leading  counsel  there  arrayed — Lord,  Evarts,  Brady,  Larocque — 
three  have  gone  to  their  long  home. 

•'  In  the  prominent  cases  of  Home  and  of  Haynes,  arising  under  the  laws  for 

434 


E.    DELAFIELD     SMITH. 

tli8  suppression  of  the  slave-trade,  and  in  the  great  fraud  case  of  Kolinstamm,  it 
will  not  be  easy  to  forget  either  the  ability  of  his  defenses  or  his  subsequent  assur- 
ance of  sympathy  in  the  anxious  labors  which  those  prosecutions  involved. 

"  He  never  entered  a  court-room  but  smiles  from  the  Bench  and  Bar  responded 
to  his  presence.  He  never  aijpeared  upon  a  platform  but  to  be  greeted  by  throno-- 
iag  auditors.     No  banquet  saw  diminished  guests  while  he  remained  to  speak. 

'  From  the  charmed  council  to  the  festive  buard, 
Of  hiimau  leelingsthe  uuhounded  lord.' 

"  A  lawyer,  an  orator,  a  scholar,  a  gentleman— all  that  these  made  him  was 

given  to  his  country  in  her  day  of  danger,  and  to  the  land  of  his  ancestors  in  every 

hopeful  struggle. 

"  Great  in  intellect,  great  in  heart — 

'  See,  what  a  grace  was  ee.itcd  on  thia  brow ; 
Hyperion's  curls ;  the  front  of  Jove  himself.' 

"  Our  hearts  may  well  be  touched  as  they  rarely  have  been.  Words,  unless  to 
(ire — tears,  unless  of  blood — should  only  mock  their  grief. 

*  Ye  orators,  whom  yet  our  councils  yield, 
Mourn  for  the  veteran  hero  of  your  field  1 
Ye  moo  of  wit  and  social  eloquence, 
He  w.as  your  brother— bear  his  ashes  hence  ! 
While  powers  of  mind  almost  of  boundle^s  range. 
Complete  in  kind,  as  various  in  their  change,  ^ 
While  eloquence,  wit,  poesy,  and  mirth. 
That  humbler  harmonist  nf  care  on  earth, 
Survive  within  our  souls— while  lives  our  sense 
Of  pride  in  merit's  proud  pre-eminence. 
Long  shall  we  seek  his  likeness— long  in  vain.' 

"  When  '  a  mighty  spirit  is  eclipsed  '—when  death  comes  to  the  noble  and 
brave,  we  cannot  but  be  glad  it  is  the  common  lot.  We  would  not  shrink  forever 
from  the  dark  path  which  they  are  forced  to  tread.  We  would  not  fail  to  seek 
them  at  last  in  the  better  world  beyond. 

" Gentle,  genial,  generous  spirit!  Our  hearts  shall  long  resound  with  the 
sweet  music  of  the  solemn  Cathedral,  which  breathed  a  prayer  for  thy  peace  and 
rest. 

' Stay  not  thy  career ; 

I  know  we  follow  to  eternity  1'  " 

The  following  after-dinner  speech  we  copy  from  the  American 
Scotsman  of  February,  1870,  containing  a  report  of  a  celebration 
in  New  York  of  the  birth  of  Kobert  Burns  : 

SPEECH   ON   SC0TL.4.ND   DELrYEBBD   AT   BURNS'S   ANNIYBRSART  DINNER. 

"  The  Hon.  E.  Delafield  Smith,  on  being  called  on,  responded  to  the  next  toast, 
Scotland,  as  follows : 

"  As  Daniel  Webster  said  of  Massachusetts,  Scotland  '  speaks  for  herself.' 
History  and  phi  I  sophy,  science  and  learning,  poetry  and  romance,  are  steeds  to 
the  chariot  of  her  fame  as  onward  it  moves  from  generation  to  generation.  Like 
the  morning,  it  advances,  growing  brighter  as  it  dawns  on  each  succeeding  age. 

"  It  is  a  luxury  to  know  that  we  may  indulge  in  limitless  praise  of  Scotland 
■without  arousing  the  jealousy  of  either  of  the  countries  in  her  immediate  neigh- 
borhood. For  Englishmen  and  Irishmen  will  impute  all  her  glory  to  the  blood 
of  their  own  ancestors,  sown  across  the  borders  centuries  ago  !  Do  we  not  read 
that  Saxons  conquered  the  Lowlands,  and  made  them  their  own  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  449  ?  And  do  we  not  learn  that  a  Celtic  tribe  from  Erin  settled  on  the  west 
coa'bt  in  A.  D.  503,  became  the  dominant  race,  and  even  gave  the  very  name  of 
Scots  to  the  Picts  who  preceded  them  ? 

"  If  we  extol  her  for  her  Presbyterianism— that  sturdy  church  which  she  planted 

430 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

on  American  soil — may  it  not  afford  a  malicious  delight  to  her  rivals,  as  well  as 
some  special  satisfaction  to  her  friends — for  she  is  always  hospitable — to  know 
that  whislvy  and  ale  aro  among  her  principal  productions  '?  If  we  praise  her  sal- 
mon, her  op))onents  may  gnaw  at  her  herrings.  If  we  admire  her  tartan,  her  eue- 
emies  may  hang  on  her  hemp.  If  we  exalt  her  schools,  it  may  console  her  compet- 
itors to  confess  that  the  salaries  of  her  school-masters  depend  uiX)Q  the  fluctuating 
price  of  oatmeal.  If  she  is  the  land  of  books,  we  must  acknowledge  her  alike  the 
'  land  o'  cakes.'  If  she  produces  a  brilliant  literature,  it  is  kind  to  her  neigh- 
bors to  drench  it  with  cold  '  reviews.'  so  that  its  fame  shall  not  glow  too  brightly 
in  the  admiration  of  the  world.  If  she  launches  great  steamers,  you  may  still  taunt 
her  on  her  canal  boats.  If  she  glories  in  her  steam-engines,  she  yet  furnishes 
the  navies  of  the  world  with  sails,  but  leaves  thera,  it  must  be  confessed,  the 
'  airs  '   that  swell  them. 

"  And  here,  to  be  serious,  I  cannot  refrain  from  alluding  to  the  personal 
manners  of  Scotchmen,  by  which  they  are  sometimes  prejudiced  in  the  minds  of 
those  who  fail  to  realize  the  value  of  sincerity  in  human  intercourse.  They  have 
not  the  formal  politeness  of  the  English,  the  cordiality  of  the  Irish,  nor  the 
sauvity  of  the  French.  But  a  Scotch  smile  is  a  reality.  It  intensely  means  all  it 
indicates — Esse  quam  mderi.  You  remember  the  story  of  the  Frenchman  who  dis- 
covered a  neighbor  in  his  carriage,  and  told  him  to  get  out.  '  Sir,'  said  the 
intruder, '  you  asked  m3  tJ  get  in.'  'Ah,'  was  the  mild  response,  '  you  were  wel- 
come to  the  compliment,  but  I  want  the  carriage  myself  A  true  Scotchman 
would  grudge  the  politeness,  but  give  you  the  drive. 

"  No  man  can  dojustice  to  tliis  steadfast,  heroic,  beautiful,  wild,  and  classic 
land,  without  recalling  the  valor  of  her  historic  battle-fields — without  recounting 
her  array  of  names  inscribed  at  every  goal  of  human  achievement — nor  without 
rising  to  a  sublime  description  of  her  lakes  and  rivers,  her  heaths  and  highlands, 
her  cataracts  and  torrents. 

"  But  here  we  approach  the  domain,  not  of  eloquence,  but  of  poetry  ;  and  upon 
him  that  may  not  without  presumption  invoke  either  muse,  silence  is  doubly 
imposed. 

"  Yes,  I  would  not  sit  down  without  pointing  to  one  immortal  name  on  Scot- 
land's roll  of  honor,  to  illustrate  that  grandest  feature  of  Scottish  character — in- 
trepid integrity.  I  allude  not  now  to  the  glorious  humanity  of  Burns.  I  refer  to  his 
great  successor — Walter  Scott.  My  theme  is  not  to-night  the  charm  of  his 
song,  nor  the  witchery  of  his  romance.  I  would  recall  your  memory  to  that 
chapter  iu  his  biography  which  relates  that  when  his  fame  was  at  its  heiglit  and 
his  fortune  supposed  to  have  been  made,  the  failures  of  certain  publication  houses 
carried  with  them  his  pecuniary  destruction.  As  indorser  uiiou  their  paper,  he 
was  overwhelmed  with  debts  amounting  to  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  Br.ive  as  Alexander,  he  faced  his  calamities  without  complaint,  and  at 
the  age  of  fifty-five  went  to  work  to  retrieve  them.  At  his  death  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars  had  been  paid,  and  the  remainder  was  in  the  way  of  speedy  dis- 
charge.  Refusing  all  composition  or  settlement,  he  laid  down  life  on  the  altar  of  his 
Scotch  honesty.  Born  in  the  year  and  on  the  day  that  gave  the  first  Napoleon 
birth,  his  courage  was  of  a  type  that  warriors  might  envy. 

"  The  magnanimity  of  Walter  Scott  towards  his  literary  rivals  illustrates 
another  manly  trait  of  Scottish  character.  The  greatest  of  his  poetical  com- 
petitors was  the  illustrious  Byron.  Acknowledging  that  Byron  '  bate  '  him,  he  yet 
forgot  an  early  thrust  received  in  the  satire,  and  became  as  kind  to  his  brother 
poet  through   his  life  as  he  proved  tender  and  just  to  his  mangled  memory. 

436 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

And  the  genius  of  that  brilliant  bard  must  itself  be  largely  credited  to  Scotlanc) 
For  he  himself  says : 

* 1  am  half  a  Scot  by  birth,  and  bred 

A  whole  one,  and  my  heart  flies  to  ray  bead, — 

As  '  Auld  Lang-Gyne '  brings  Scotland,  one  and  all, 
Scotch  jjlaids,  Scotch  snoods,  the  blue  hills  and  clear  streams, 

The  Dee,  the  Don,  Balgonnie's  brig's  black  wall. 
All  my  boy  feelings,  all  my  gentler  dreams 

Of  what  I  then  dreamt,  clothed  in  their  own  pall, 
LiUe  Banquo's  offspring.     Flouting  past  me  seems 

My  childhood  in  this  childishness  of  mine — 

J  fare  not — 'tis  a  glimpse  of  '  Auld  Lang-Syne.' 

And  though,  as  you  remember,  in  a  tit 

Of  wrath  and  rhyme,  when  juvenile  and  curly, 
I  raird  at  Scots  to  show  my  wrath  and  wit. 

Which  must  be  owned  was  sensitive  and  surly, 
Yet  'tis  in  vain  such  sallies  to  permit. 

They  cannot  quench  young  teelings  fresh  and  early; 
I  '  scotch' J  not  killed  '  the  Scotchman  in  my  blood. 
And  love  the  laud  of  '  mount-aiu  and  of  flood.' 

While  Delafield  Smith  is  a  sound  and  laborious  lawyer,  he  is  by 
no  means  a  mere  lawyer.  When,  in  the  heat  of  our  late  National 
struggle,  the  War  Department  determined  upon  a  seizure  of  all  the 
recorded  telegraphic  dispatches,  he  was  selected  to  arrange  a 
simultaneous  descent  upon  the  telegraphic  offices  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  And  the  task  was  performed  with  such  proficiency 
as  to  receive  the  commendation  of  the  Government,  and  at  the 
same  time  with  such  delicacy  as  to  induce  the  thanks  of  the 
companies  for  his  avoidance  of  all  public  exposure  of  private 
business  and  social  communications.  Again ;  when  a  public 
mail,  made  up  at  Liverpool,  was  found  on  the  Peterhoff,  and  a 
special  attorney  of  the  Navy  Department  clamored  for  its  violation 
and  exposure  in  court,  Mr.  Smith,  sinking  the  lawyer  in  the 
statesman,  ordered  the  seals  to  remain  unliroken.  The  State 
Department  and  also  even  the  President  himself  returned  to  him 
their  special  acknowledgments  for  his  sagacity  in  saving  the 
country  from  a  most  awkward  complication,  which  would  have 
been  likely  to  result  in  a  war  with  England  at  a  time  when  th<? 
rebellion  was  too  formidable  to  render  other  entanglements  at 
all  safe.  And  again  ;  when  ships,  bound  for  blockaded  ports, 
were  brought  for  adjudication,  the  ordinary  process  of  obtaininj; 
for  the  urgent  use  of  the  Government,  arms  found  on  board,  was 
slow  and  tedious;  but  the  task  was  habitually  accomplished  by 
Mr.  Smith  with  such  promptitude  as  to  wring  from  Secretary 
Stanton  the  "wish  that  the  energy  of  the  District-Attorney  at 
New  York  could  be  imparted  to  every  agent  of  the  War  Depart- 
ment." 

Mr.  Smith  has  accumulated  a  large  library  of  standard  works 

437 


E.    DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

in  almost  every  department  of  science,  learning,  and  literature 
He  delights  in  original  editions,  in  unique  illustrations,  and  in 
works  of  permanent  value,  not  always  so  popular  as  to  escape 
becoming  "  out  of  print." 

He  is  a  man  of  culture,  of  scholastic  tastes,  of  literary  dis- 
cernment and  capacity,— just  and  generous  in  his  dealings,  true 
and  honorable  under  all  circumstances,  bountiful  but  discriminat- 
ing in  his  benevolences,  devoted  to  his  home,  of  genuine  wit  and 
genial  humor — though  with  an  apparent  under-current  of  sadness. 
A  warm  partisan,  he  has  yet  no  acerbities.  It  is  often  remarked 
that  his  personal  friends  are  quite  as  numerous  among  political 
opponents  as  in  the  ranks  of  his  own  party. 

Perhaps  no  man  ever  carried  the  obligation  of  gratitude  for 
political,  professional,  or  personal  favor,  further  than  he;  while  at 
the  same  time  no  personal  disappointment  seems  to  lessen  his 
friendship  for  a  public  man  whom  he  has  thoroughly  admired,  nor 
his  zeal  for  a  cause  which  he  has  heartily  espoused. 

That  the  reader  may  form  a  judgment  of  his  own  of  Mr. 
Smith's  ability,  we  have  given  specimens  of  his  oratory.  Our 
limits  do  not  permit  additional  selections  from  his  literary  and 
poetical  writings.  These,  like  his  speeches,  are  both  stamped 
with  a  certain  intensity  and  force;  and  in  a  notice  of  one  of  his 
early  poems,  Mr.  Bryant  remarked — "  the  versification  is  uncom- 
monly easy  and  flowing,  and  among  the  thick-coming  fancies  of 
the  writer  are  many  of  great  beauty  and  brilliancy." 

Mr.  Smith  resides  in  New  York;  but  enjoys,  for  more  than 
merely  the  summer  months,  his  country  home  and  farm  at  Shrews- 
bury, near  Long  Branch,  New  Jersey. 

Early  in  life,  he  married  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Gilbert 
Morgan,  a  scholarly  gentleman,  of  Bradford  Springs,  Sumter, 
South   Carolina.     Of  their   seven   children   five   are   living. 

The  graves  of  two,  early  deceased,  bear  the  following  inscrip- 
tion, penned  by  Mr.  Smith  : 

"  With  chastened  pride 
We  give  them  back  to  God  to  keep; 
Too  grateful  for  their  lives  to  weep 
That  they  have  died." 

The  foregoing  biographical  sketch  was  written  in  the  spring  of 

1871.    Mr.  Smith  has  continued  in  his  law  practice,  engaged  as  counsel 

in  matters  involving  interests  of  great  magnitude.     Throughout  the 

i38 


E.     DELAFIELD     SMITH. 


presidential  contest  of  1872  he  addressed  large  audiences  in 
every  quarter  of  the  State,  called  expresslj  to  hear  him.  For  candor, 
good  nature,  keen  wit,  and  refreshing  humor,  searching  analysis, 
powei  and  brilliancy,  his  speeches  were  widely  lauded.  They  had 
an  acknowledged  influence  upon  the  result,  and  vastly  augmented 
the  reputation  of  the  speaker. 

On  the  3d  of  December,  1872,  a  Democratic  Mayor  of  New  York 
appointed  Mr.  Delafield  Smitli  to  the  high  office  of  Counsel  to  the 
Corporation  and  Head  of  the  Law  Department  of  that  metropolis. 
In  April,  the  Republican  Legislature  and  Governor  of  the  State 
passed  and  approved  a  law  to  continue  him  in  the  position  for  four 
years.  These  double  marks  of  confidence  were  approved  by  the 
press  and  public  with  remarkable  unanimity.  The  following  corre- 
spondence, not  before  published,  will  be  read  with  interest: — 


to  the  president. 

Law  Depaetmekt, 
Ofeice  of  Counsel  to  the  Corporation, 
New  York,  Dec.  4,  1872. 
Ulysses  S.  Grant, 

President  of  the  United  States. 
Dear  Sir  : 

The  office  of  Counsel  to  the  Corporation  of  New  York  havintr 
been  tendered  to  me,  I  have  accepted  it,  after  consulting  leading  re- 
publicans and  supporters  of  municipal  reform. 

It  presents  an  opportunity  for  honorable  service  to  the  great  city 
in  which  I  have  lived  since  my  early  childhood.  And  my  first 
official  act  has  been  to  place  this  office  in  communication  with  Attor- 
ney-General Barlow  and  Mr.  O'Conor,  in  order  that  united  action, 
under  their  lead,  may  be  pursued  against  the  persons  charged  with 
fraudulent  conversion  of  public  money. 

My  name  having  been  presented  to  you  by  judges,  lawyers,  and 
mercantile  men,  for  appointment  to  the  office  of  District  Attorney, 
held  by  me  under  President  Lincoln,  it  is  now  my  duty  to  with- 
draw it 

■  In  doing  this,  I  take  pleasure  in  the  humble  but  earnest  service 
rendered  by  me  to  the  cause  which  has  triumphed  in  the  strength 
of  your  name,  and  at  the  same  time  I  am  glad  to  relieve  you  from 

439 


E.     DELAFIELD    SMITH. 

possible  embaiTassment  by  asking  at  your  hands  nothing  but  the 
high  honor  of  your  confidence  and  regard. 
With  great  respect, 

I  am,  sincerely, 

Your  friend  and 

Obedient  servant, 

E.  Delafield  Smith. 


LETTER  FEOM   PRESIDENT  GRANT. 

This  letter  was  holographic ;  the  body,  as  well  as  the  signature, 
and  even  the  address  and  frank  being  in  the  writer's  own  hand. 

Executive  Mansion, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  9lh,  1872. 
My  Dear  Sir : 

Your  favor  of  the  4th  instant,  withdrawing  your  name  as  candi- 
date for  the  oifice  of  District  Attorney  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New  York — for  which  ofSce  you  have  the  highest  testimonials  from 
leading  citizens  of  the  City  and  State,  as  well  as  my  personal  knowl- 
edge of  your  entire  qualifications  for  the  ofifi.ce,  and  your  services 
entitling  you  to  the  most  favorable  consideration  of  the  Kepublican 
party,  and  my  own  recognition  of  your  services — was  duly  received, 
though  only  this  moment  opened. 

I  congratulate  you  on  the  much  better  appointment  which  you 
have  received,  and  do  not  doubt  but  that  it  will  be  filled  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  all  lovers  of  good  government. 

Your  action  in  this  matter  relieves  me  in  the  withdrawal  of  one 
good  name  of  the  number  from  which  to  select  a  District  Attorney, 
several  being  presented  with  very  high  testimonials. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  appointment  of  the  present  most  worthy 
Attorney  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York,  I  became  satisfied, 
after  tendering  him  the  place,  that  you  had  claims  to  the  office 
which  I  should  then  have  recognized  had  the  ofiice  been  declined  by 
Judge  Davis. 

Please  present  Mrs.  Grant's  and  my  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  Smith 
and  the  children,  and  believe  me. 

Very  truly,  your  obedient  servant, 

U.  S.  Grant. 
Hon.  E.  Delafield  Smith, 

Corporation  Counsel,  New  York  City. 

440 


^^.^^l^^s^^^A^^^^t^y^^^W 


ALEXANDER   H.    STEPHENS. 

By    J.    FAIRFAX   MCLAUGHLIN. 


^'%  LEXANDER  HAMILTON  STEPHENS  was  born 


I^^H    in  that  part  of  Wilkes   siace  embraced    in    Talia- 

•^'yf'^^  ferro    county,    Georgia,    at    the   homestead   of    his 

1^  parents,  about  two    miles  from    the  present  town  of 

'(Wi   Crawfordville,  on  the  11th  of  February,   1812.     His 

'02  family  is  English. 

In  the  year  1805,  Captain  Alexander  Stephens,  his 
grandfather,  moved  to  and  settled  this  place,  making  it  his  perma- 
nent home.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  that  part  of  Georgia, 
and  a  man  of  strong  character.  His  life,  like  that  of  so  many  of  the 
early  American  settlei's,  was  one  of  stirring  adventure  and  action. 
An  Englishman  by  birth,  he  embraced  the  cause  of  the  Stuarts,  and 
after  the  fatal  field  of  Culloden,  made  his  way  with  difficulty  to 
America,  finding  an  asylum  at  first  in  Virginia  and  afterwards  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  enlisted  under  Braddock  in  the  old  French  war, 
and  was  with  that  officer  when  he  was  defeated  and  killed.  He  also 
served  under  Col.  George  Washington  in  a  subsequent  and  more 
prosperous  expedition.  Later  we  find  him  a  soldier  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  a  captain  on  the  patriot  side.  Captain  Stephens  was 
already  past  the  middle  age,  and  a  poor  man  when  he  married. 
His  wife  was  Catharine,  daughter  of  Andrew  Raskins,  a  man  of 
great  wealth  at  that  day,  who  owned  Raskins'  Ferry  on  the  Sus- 
quehannah  River  at  its  junction  with  the  Juniatta.  That  beautiful 
spot,  Duncan's  Island,  formed  part  of  his  property.  Owing  to 
Stephens'  poverty  Mr.  Raskins  sternly  opposed  the  marriage. 
When  it  was  consummated  he  disinherited  his  daughter,  and 
refused   afterwards   all   overtures  of  reconciliation.     The  devoted 

441 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPHENS. 

couple,  without  substance  or  worldly  goods,  turned  their  steps 
southward.  They  ascended  the  Blue  Ridge  at  Manassas  Gap, 
crossed  rivers  and  mountains,  encountered  the  perils  and  hardships 
of  a  long  and  ill-provided  journey,  and  at  length  reached  Georgia 
in  the  year  1795.  Here  Captain  Stephens  '•  roughed  it"  for  some 
years,  first  in  the  county  of  Elbert  and  then  in  Wilkes,  until  he 
became  settled  permanently  at  the  place  already  mentioned,  where 
he  lived  to  the  great  age  of  eighty-seven.  He  survived  to  the  third 
generation,  long  enough  to  fondle  his  infant  grandchild,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  in  his  arms.     He  died  in  March,  1813. 

Andrew  B.  Stephens,  his  son,  who  then  had  charge  of  the  farm, 
and  with  whom  the  Captain  was  living  at  the  time  of  his  death,  married 
twice.  His  first  wife  was  Margaret  Grier,  a  distant  relative  of  the  late 
Mr.  Justice  Grier  of  the  Supreme  Court.  By  her  he  had  issue  three 
children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  the  youngest  and  only  survivor 
of  whom  is  Alexander,  in  whose  infancy,  May,  1813,  his  mother 
died.  By  a  second  marriage  there  were  three  other  children,  of  whom 
Linton  is  the  only  survivor.  The  second  wife  was  Matilda,  daugh- 
ter of  Coh  John  Lindsay,  who  won  great  local  distinction  in  the  Eev- 
olutionary  War.  Andrew  B.  Stephens  died  in  May,  1826.  The 
sons  were  thus  left  orphans  at  a  tender  age,  and  the  inheritance  of 
each  was  found,  after  the  estate  was  committed,  to  be  but  four 
hundred  and  forty-four  dollars.  General  Aaron  W.  Grier,  the 
maternal  uncle  of  Alexander,  became  his  guardian  and  foster- 
father. 

The  boy  was  not  endowed  with  a  robust  constitution,  but  from 
infancy  was  frail  and  sickly.  He  attended  a  country  school  in  win- 
ter, and  worked  on  his  uncle's  farm  in  summer.  The  interest  of 
his  little  patrimony  scarcely  paid  for  his  clothing  and  tuition,  and 
the  principal  he  could  not  use  during  minority.  The  uncle  would 
accept  no  money  for  board.  Mr.  C.  C.  Mills,  in  charge  of  the  Sun- 
day-school attended  by  young  Stephens,  had  the  sagacity  to  per- 
ceive the  cleverness  of  his  catechumen,  and  the  generosity  to  take 
interest  in  his  education,  without  which  another  "  village  Hampden" 
might  have  passed  through  life  in  its  sequestered  vales.  There  was 
at  that  time  a  noted  instructor  of  youth  in  Washington,  Georgia, 
to  whom  Mr.  Mills  had  often  rehearsed  the  praises  of  young 
Stephens.  This  gentleman,  Mr.  Webster  by  name,  was  a  minister 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  conceived  the  idea  of  training  the 
talented  youth  for  the  ministry.     Mr.  Mills  entered  heartily  into  the 

442 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPHENS. 

scheme,  and  Mr.  Wubster  authorized  him  to  equip  the  lad  for  the 
journey  to  Washington  and  entrance  in  his  academy.  We  may 
imagine  the  effect  produced  on  tlie  hatter  by  the  announcement  of 
such  benevolent  intentions. 

The  sense  of  comparative  poverty,  acting  on  a  high-strung,  del- 
icate youth,  had  no  doubt  served  to  cloud  his  views  of  the  future, 
and  chill  the  virtuous  rage  of  conscious  power  whicli  always  belouo-s 
to  noble  minds.  We  all  remember  the  historic  sleigh-ride  of  Daniel 
Webster  through  the  deep  snow  of  New  Hampshire,  and  how  the 
great  heart  welled  up  with  joy,  and  he  laid  his  head  on  his  father's 
shoulder  and  wept, — when  told  he  sliould  go  to  college.  Young 
Stephens  accepted  of  the  kind  offices  of  his  friends  with  similar 
feelings,  but  entered  into  a  positive  engagement  to  repay  them  if 
ever  fortune  bestowed  the  means.  He  was  entered  at  Mr.  Webster's 
academy,  and  the  rude  pebble  of  homely  thought  began  to  brighten 
lilie  the  precious  stone.  He  became  a  chiu-ch  member  and  a  prac- 
tical and  devout  Christian.  In  the  course  of  a  few  months  his 
preceptor  was  more  and  more  impressed  with  the  youth's  fitness  for 
the  spiritual  life,  and  advised  him  to  prepare  for  the  ministry.  He 
offered  to  send  him  to  college  and  assume  his  expenses  while  there.. 
The  religious  temperament  of  Stephens  led  him  to  entertain  the 
subject  favorably,  but  he  required  consultation  on  so  grave  a  step 
with  his  uncle  and  aunt  before  coming  to  a  decision.  His  relatives 
concurred  in  the  minister's  views.  After  stipulating  for  the  repay- 
ment of  all  money,  if  ever  able  to  return  it,  which  Mr.  Webster 
might  be  called  on  to  advance  for  his  collegiate  expenses,  young 
Stephens  continued  in  the  meantime  his  preparatory  studies  with 
his  generous  friend.  But  that  worthy  man  soon  after  fell  ill  and 
died.  The  full  name  of  this  benevolent  and  eloquent  divine  was 
Alexander  Hamilton  Webster.  It  was  after  his  death,  and  in 
grateful  respect  for  his  memory,  that  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
adopted  Hamilton  as  his  middle  name.  His  name  at  first  was 
simply  Alexander  for  his  grandfather.  The  plans  of  Mr.  Webster 
in  the  interests  of  Stephens  were  known  to  several  gentlemen  of 
consequence  in  the  town  of  Wasliington,  who  urged  the  lad  now 
about  to  return  home,  to  remain  at  school  under  Mr.  Webster's 
successor.  They  further  insisted  that  they  themselves  should  be 
allowed  to  carry  out  the  designs  of  the  deceased,  and  that  Stephens 
should  go  to  college.  Among  these  gentlemen  was  Col.  Duncan 
G.  Campbell,  the  father  of  ex-Justice  John  A.  Campbell  of  the 

443 


ALEXANDER    H.    STEPHENS. 

Supreme  Court.  Stephens  renewed  the  conditions  on  which  lie 
originally  consented  to  accept  the  assistance,  and  was  entered  at 
Franklin  College,  the  Georgia  State  University,  in  August,  1828. 
During  the  progress  of  his  studies  and  about  two  years  later,  grave 
doubts  touching  his  vocation  forced  themselves  upon  his  mind. 
The  embarrassment  of  his  position  weighed  heavily  upon  him. 
Two  years  remained  before  the  completion  of  the  curriculum,  but  he 
determined  to  go  no  farther  before  taking  counsel  of  General  Grier, 
his  uncle  and  guardian,  and  accordingly  laid  his  difficulties  before 
that  excellent  man.  General  Grier  appreciated  the  circumstances  of 
the  case,  and  discreetly  came  to  his  nephew's  succor  by  surrendering 
to  him  his  entire  distributive  share  of  his  father's  estate.  Samuel 
Johnson  at  Pembroke  College  never  showed  more  true  manliness 
than  young  Stephens  in  this  matter.  He  now  had  become  able  to 
defray  his  own  expenses,  and  henceforth  relied  only  on  his  own  purse. 
He  was  graduated  at  the  University  with  honor  in  1832.  His  elder 
brother,  Aaron  G.,  at  that  time  living,  immediately  after  Alexander 
left  college,  lent  him  a  sum  equal  to  the  principal  and  interest  of  the 
debt  due  to  the  worthy  gentlemen  who  had  aided  the  young  eleve  in 
his  education.  The  money  was  paid  to  them,  but  the  other  obli- 
gation, "  the  debt  immense  of  endless  gratitude,"  has  never  been 
forgotten  by  Mr.  Stephens. 

The  character  of  this  sketch  does  not  allow  of  a  fuller  account 
of  his  youth.  There  is  abundant  evidence  of  its  great  promise,  and 
of  his  diligence  and  proficiency  at  the  University  ;  but,  that  test 
not  always  being  a  sure  one,  the  relation  is  given  without  com- 
ment. Scholastic  distinction  is  always  to  be  desired,  but  is  not 
always  the  augury  of  greatness.  Goldsmith  tells  us  that  Burke's 
standing  was  very  low  at  college,  while  the  Trinity  records  inform 
us  that  Goldsmith's  was  very  far  from  high.  But  the  remarkable 
interest  which  so  many  people  discovered  in  the  advancement  of 
young  Stephens  argued  strongly  for  his  properties  of  mind  and  gen- 
eral worthiness.  Where  so  many  join  hands  to  help  a  young  man 
forward  we  have  a  right  to  accept  the  fact  as  an  indication;  where 
all  rejoice  afterwards  that  they  have  thus  helped  him  we  have  the 
certainty  that  character,  and  not  accident,  underlies  the  transac- 
tion. 

After  Mr.  Stephens  left  college,  his  narrow  circumstances  in- 
duced him  to  accept  the  situation  of  usher  in  an  Academy  at 
Madison,  Georgia.     This  he  held  for  one  term,  and  then  took  charge 

444 


ALEXANDER    H.    STEPHENS. 

of  a  private  school  in  Liberty  county,  which  he  taught  for  one  year. 
But  there  is  nothing  more  beneficial  to  a  new-fledged  collegian 
tlian  the  drudgery  of  teaching.  A  limited  but  fair  experience  as  a 
pedagogue,  is  one  of  the  best  schools  in  the  world  for  a  clever  young 
man  who  has  just  crossed  tiie  college  portals.  In  two  years  Mr.  Ste- 
phens had  laid  by  a  small  stock  of  money,  and  having  read  in  the 
meantime  several  elementary  law  books,  he  Resolved  now  to  embrace 
the  profession  of  his  choice.  He  relinquished  the  place  of  tutor  in 
Liberty  county,  and  took  up  his  abode  at  Crawfordville  as  a  stu- 
dent of  law. 

He  was  called  to  the  bar  on  the  22d  of  July,  1834,  and  was 
highly  complimented  upon  his  examination  by  the  distinguished 
Judge,  William  H.  Crawford,  before  whom  his  admission  was 
moved,  as  well  as  by  the  no  less  distinguished  Joseph  H.  Lump- 
kin, the  head  of  the  examining  committee.  He  rode  the  Northern 
Circuit  of  Georgia,  and  pushed  his  way  with  such  energy,  that  in 
two  years  he  secured  a  fair  proportion  of  the  causes  tried  in  it.  He 
managed  his  cases  with  skill  and  success,  and  bid  fair  to  attain  to 
that  eminence  as  a  lawyer  which  awaited  him  in  another  field. 

An  anecdote  is  related  of  his  first  joiu-ney  to  a  court  some  twenty 
miles  distant  from  Crawfordville,  which  affords  an  insight  into  his 
early  struggles.  He  was  unable  to  hire  a  horse,  and  reluctant  to 
borrow  one.  Nothing  daunted  he  set  out  in  the  evening  on  foot, 
with  a  pair  of  saddle-bags  slung  over  his  shoulders  containing  a 
very  plain,  but  more  presentable  change  of  apparel  than  the  suit  he 
wore.  He  walked  to  his  uncle's  house  about  ten  miles  off,  and  bor- 
rowed a  horse  from  him,  a  favor  he  was  too  proud  to  accept  from  any 
body  else.  Thus  mounted,  he  again  set  forward.  Before  reacliing 
the  town  where  the  court  was  held,  he  alighted  and  sought  out  a 
retired  spot  with  his  saddle-bags,  from  which — witli  better  luck 
than  befell  the  great  John  Marshall,  under  similar  circumstances 
at  Mt.  Vernon — an  improved  toilet  was  made  by  the  young  candi- 
date for  causes. 

As  a  Nisi  Prius  advocate,  Mr.  Stephens  soon  became  renowned 
in  Georgia.  His  power  over  the  jury — that  formerly  wonderful 
school  of  eloquence  at  the  South — was  said  to  be  unequaled.  There 
was  a  magnetism  in  his  appeals  which  not  unfrequently  carried  his 
hearers  away,  and  dissolved  the  court  and  jury  in  tears.  Nor 
were  these  exhibitions  ever  sensational.  Like  Webster,  in  defend- 
ing Dartmouth  College,  his  strong  heart  would  sometimes  assert 

445 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPHENS. 

itself  He  would  present  his  case  fairly,  sift  the  evidence,  crush  a 
multitude  of  confused  facts  attested  by  witnesses  into  a  consenta- 
neous and  dependent  narrative,  and  with  legal  precision  develop 
his  theory,  refute  the  opposite  one,  and  convince  the  judgment  in 
an  argument  characterized  by  persuasive  eloquence  and  sound 
reason.  His  style  was  neither  florid  nor  redundant,  and  his  man- 
ner was  disfigured  by  no*theatrical  arts  practiced  at  the  glass.  He 
could  address  the  court  with  Hellenic  terseness,  and  the  jury  with 
Roman  amplitude.  He  once  defended  a  woman  in  Green  county, 
whose  poverty  left  her  without  the  means  of  retaining  counsel. 
Mr.  Stephens  believed  in  the  justice  of  her  case,  and  volunteered 
without  fee  in  her  defense.  The  circumstantial  evidence  appeared 
at  first  very  strong  the  other  way,  not  only  to  the  jury,  but  to  the 
Judge  (Harris)  ;  but  her  counsel  triumphantly  acquitted  her  by  a 
purely  meritorious  argument.  The  speech  to  the  jury  is  said  to 
have  been  very  powerful ;  and  when  with  pathetic  eloquence  he 
pictured  the  woman's  wrongs,  and  employed  some  words  from 
Burns,  beginning 


'o 


"  Then  gently  scan  your  brother  man. 
Still  gentler  sister  woman," 

there  was  not  a  dry  eye  in  the  court-room.  Judge  Harris  after- 
wards said :  "  This  was  the  only  case,  either  civil  or  criminal,  tried 
before  me  whilst  on  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court,  in  which  my 
admonitions  were  unheeded  by  the  jury." 

Mr.  Stephens'  standing  in  courts  of  law,  where  the  pure  princi- 
ples of  the  profession  alone  avail,  was  equally  high.  It  is  probable 
that  he  might  have  attained  to  the  first  rank  as  a  jurist,  had  not 
his  sense  of  duty  to  his  constituents,  while  in  public  life  afterwards 
at  Washington,  kept  him  out  of  the  courts.  His  invariable  rule 
while  in  Congress  was  to  devote  his  attention  exclusively  to  the 
public  business.  With  a  single  regard  to  the  duties  of  a  Repre- 
sentative, he  scrupulously  withdrew  himself  from  a  profession 
whose  highest  honors  were  within  his  reach,  and,  though  repeatedly 
solicited  to  appear  in  causes  in  the  Supreme  Court,  he  uniformly 
refused.  With  him  Duty  was  the  sublimest  word  in  the  language 
Acting  on  the  same  high  principle,  he  never  took  a  dollar  for  ser- 
vices before  the  Grovernment  in  behalf  of  his  constituents  and 
others.  Claims  which  he  collected  went  absolutely  to  claimants; 
the  commissions  usually  paid  for  such  services  were  always  tendered 

446 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPHENS. 

to  him,  and  often  pressed  upon  liiin  by  the  parties  in  interest,  but 
he  always  positively  declined  to  receive  a  cent.  He  consideied 
these  services  as  part  of  his  public  duties ;  and,  beyond  his  Con- 
gressional per  diem  aud  mileage,  he  never  made  one  dollar  in 
Washington  during  his  whole  sixteen  years  in  Congress.  The 
elder  Pitt,  whose  character  in  the  strong  words  of  G-rattan  "aston- 
ished a  corrupt  age,"  was  not  more  removed  above  the  contamina- 
tion of  money. 

Mr.  Stephens  had  now  reached  the  period  in  which  his  public 
career  was  commenced.      His  first  or  maiden  speech,  made  on  the 
4th  of  July,  1834,  when  he  was  but  twenty-two  years  of  age,  is  in 
many  respects  a  remarkable  performance.     As  an  argument  it  is 
singularly  free  of  the  immaturity  of  youth.     Its  views  are  large, 
its  reasoning  is  close,  and  its  deductions  from  the  premises  are  sur- 
prisingly correct.     While  the  speech  has  no  particular  claims  to 
merit  as  a  purely  literary  work,  but  contains  faulty  and  harsh  ex- 
pressions, whidh  no  one  now  sees  perhaps  better  than  Mr.  Stephens 
himself,  it  is  not  wanting  nevertheless  in  that  dialectical  skill  in 
argument,  for  which  its  author  has  since  become  famous.     If  the 
character  of  his  mind  be  estimated  from  what  it  was  capable  of 
then,  and  in  the  few  years  immetliately  succeeding,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  seems  to  be  an  exception  to  the  ordinary  laws  of  intel- 
lectual development.     He  sprang  by  innate  force  into  the  front 
rank  from  the  beginning.     No  one  could  expect  an  exposition  of 
the  fundamental  law,  an  enunciation  of  those  abstruse  jjrinciples 
emliodied  in  the  Constitution  of  '87,  or  a  bold  inquiry  into  the  re- 
fined distribution  of  powers  under  our  system  of  Government,  from 
a  beardless  boy  who  had  not  yet  passed  the  bar  ;    but  all  these  we 
have  in  rapid  grouping  in  this  maiden  speech.     We  searched  for 
the  literary  capers  of  an  ambitious  young  rhetorician,  and  instead 
of  them  found  a  wheel-horse  of  logic,    who  bore  admirably  the 
strain  of  a  heavy  pull.     Mr.  Stephens'  profession  of  faith,  on  that 
day,  in  the  ultimate  sovereignty  of  the  several  States,  he  has  clung 
to  without  deviation  through  life.     His  views  have  been  enlarged 
by  experience,  and  enriched  by  study  and  observation,  while  forty 
years  of  public  speaking  have  perfected  his  eloquence  ;    but  his 
principles  to-day  are  precisely  the  same  as  those  he  proclaimed  at 
Crawfordville  in  1834.     By  altering  the  dates  and  circumstances 
of  the  sjieech,  it  might  be  offered  as  a  review  ad  hoc  of  his  cele- 
brated work,  "  The  Constitutional  View  of  the  War  between  the 

447 


ALEXANDER    H.    STEPHENS. 

States,"  written  thirty-five  years  after.     The  principles  of  each,  as 
far  as  the  speech  goes,  are  identical. 

Mr.  Stephens  was  reared  in  the  Jeiferson  school  of  politics,  con- 
formably to  the  principles  of  the  Virginia  and  Kentucky  Resolu- 
tion of  1798-'99.     He  equally  opposed  Nulliiication  and  General 
Jackson's  famous  Proclamation.     He  acted  with  the  States'  Eights 
party.     Many  of  the  latter  in  Georgia  joined  the  Nullifiers,  and  be- 
came known  as  Five-Eaters.     John  Forsyth  taking  advantage  of 
these  differences  then  came  forward  in  opposition,  and  organized  a 
third  or  Union-Jackson  party,  which  nominated  Wilson  Lumpkin 
for  Governor  of  Georgia,  in  1833.     The  States'  Rights  men  ran 
Joel  Crawford  against  Lumpkin,  and  Mr.  Stej^hens  cast  his  first  vote 
at  that  election;  it  was  given  for  Crawford.     The  Forsyth  party 
was  successful,  and  continued  to  rule  the   State   during  several 
years.     In  1836,  althougli  Mr.  Stephens'  county  was  composed  for 
the  most  part  of  Nullifiers,  he  was  without  his  solicitation  nomi- 
nated and  elected  to  the  lower  branch  of  the  Logislat>ure.     The  pub- 
lic mind  was  then  directed  to  the  subject  of  railroads,  upon  which 
there  existed  much  uncertainty  and  distrust.     The  prejudice  against 
untried  experiments,  and  the  certainty  that  it  would  be  necessary 
to  spend  immense  sums  in  order  to  test  the  practical  utility  of  steam 
as  a  means  of  locomotion  over  the  mountains  of  Georgia,  exercised 
a  powerful  negative  influence  with  the  people  when  the  subject 
came  to  be  dealt  with  in  the  Legislature  of  183'o.     Experimentum 
in  vilo  corpore  was  a  maxim  in  physics  which  was  thought  to 
apply  here,  and  the  risks  of  the  railroad  problem  were  discounted 
largely  in  Georgia.     The  men  of  this  day  may  be  disposed  to  smile 
at  the  men  of  that,  but  the  wise  will  make  allowances  for  all  such 
opposition.     Newton  knew  not  of  the  existence  of  such  a  planet  as 
the  Georgium  Sidus,  and  the  man  of  Macedon  achieved  his  victo- 
ries with  spear  and  sword.     Every  inch  of  oround  which  has  been 
won  by  science  is  either  scarred  by  trial  or  moistened  by  blood. 
But  for  the  presence  of  such  men  as  Stephens,  Jenkins,  Gordon,  and 
Harris,  in  the  Georgia  Legislature  of  1836,  the  Main  Trunk  move- 
mL-nt,  which  has  proved  for  that  State  what  the  Erie  Canal  has 
proved  for  New  York,  would  most  probably  have  ended  in  failure. 
The  Legislature  was  in  that  year  au  exceedingly  able  body,  and  the 
unknown  young  member  from  Taliaferro  came  forward  for  the  first 
time  to  address  the  House  on  the  railroad  bill.     The  debate  had 
been  long  and  protracted,  and  was  marked  by  great  ability.     All 

448 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPHENS. 

the  recognized  leaders  oa  both  sides  had  spoken,  and  a  brilliant  and 
satirical  member,  Mr.  Flournoy,  had  just  concluded  a  very  strong 
speech  against  the  bill.  Everybody  was  fotigued  and  impatient  of 
further  argument.  Under  these  unfavorable  circumstances,  Mr. 
Stephens  arose  to  answer  Flournoy.  His  speech  was  brief,  electri- 
cal, and  overwhelming.  The  jaded  House  put  on  new  life,  and 
every  one  stared  in  mute  wonder  at  the  pale,  boyish-looking  speaker 
as  he  expanded  with  his  theme,  and  spiked  the  guns  of  the  brilliant 
Flournoy  with  keen,  incisive  strokes.  His  speech  was  the  event  of 
the  debate,  and  the  doubtful  victory  of  ihe  railroad  was  now  as- 
sured. As  soon  as  he  sat  down,  Jenkins  said  to  him:  "That 
speech  will  surely  send.you  to  Congress."  "  Every  eye/'  wrote 
Judge  Harris  to  Professor  Rutherford,  twenty  years  afterwards, 
"  was  turned  to  the  thin,  attenuated  form  of  a  mere  boy,  with  ■,■• 
black  gleaming  eye,  and  cadaverous  face.  The  attention  became 
breathless;  the  House  was  enchained  for  half  an  hour  by  a  new 
speaker,  with  new  views  of  the  question.  The  speech  was  elec- 
trical.    From  that  hour  he  has  been  a  man  of  mark." 

Mr.  Stephens  was  returned  to  the  Legislature  five  times  (1836  to 
1840),  but  declined  to  be  sent  back  thereafter.  He  was  never  well 
all  this  time,  but,  indeed,  has  been  a  confirmed  invalid  throughout 
life.  The  fearful  efiects  of  suffering  are  stamped  on  his  whole  ap- 
pearance. As  it  was  with  the  splendid  Mareschal  de  Saxe,  so  is  it 
with  Mr.  Stephens;  a  feeble  tie  binds  the  great  soul  to  the  sickly 
■  body.  Voltaire  was  shocked  when  he  saw  Saxe  in  Paris,  implored 
him  to  go  to  bed,  and  told  him  he  would  never  live  to  reach  the  army. 
"  The  object  now,"  replied  the  fiery  commander,  "is  not  to  live,  but 
to  go."     And  thus  Fontenoy  was  won. 

Mr.  Stephens  again  devoted  his  whole  time  to  his  practice,  which 
was  now  very  extensive,  but  he  was  soon  to  be  recalled  into  politics. 
In  1842  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and  there  increased  his 
reputation  as  a  debater  and  working  member.  He  mastered  the 
minutest  details  of  business,  was  an  indefatigable  attendant  in  com- 
mittee-room, was  conversant  in  the  practical  affairs  of  legislation,  and 
soon  became  an  authority  among  members  on  all  these  subjects. 
Party  lines  in  Greorgia  were  again  thrown  into  confusion  by  the 
Presidential  campaign  of  1840.  "  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too,"  that 
most  memorable  of  all  our  party  shibboleths,  echoed  and  re-echoed 
throughout  the  land.  The  Harrison  ticket  swept  the  States  like  a 
tornado.     The  first  formal  nominations  of  the  Whig  party  in  Georgia 

449 


ALEXAEDER    H.    STEPHENS. 

were  made  in  1842.  They  failed  of  siiccess  then,  but  the  State 
Senate  Minority  Report  on  Federal  Relations,  presented  soon  after, 
became  the  successful  platform  of  the  Whigs.  It  emanated  from 
Mr.  Stephens.  Its  grounds  were  judiciously  taken,  and  turned  the 
scales  at  the  ensuing  election.  Upon  the  strength  of  this  report 
Mr.  Stephens  was  elected  to  Congress.  It  was  strictly  a  States 
Eights  paper.  On  the  subject  of  Protection  the  report  said:  "  We 
are,  and  have  been,  in  favor  of  a  Tariff  for  revenue,  and  revenue 
only;  and  that  for  no  more  revenue  than  is  sufficient  to  support 
the  Grovernment  in  an  economical  administration  thereof."  He  was 
elected  to  Congress  in  1843  to  till  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  resigna- 
tion of  Mr.  Cooper,  receiving  a  majority  of  3,000  votes  over  his  com- 
petitor. 

Mr.  Stephens  hitherto  had  enjoyed  a  high  reputation  at  home, 
but  was  unknown  in  national  politics.  The  sanguine  and  enthusi- 
astic predictions  of  his  admirers,  that  he  would  become  the  leader  of 
the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  would  soon  be  ranked  among 
the  greatest  men  the  country  had  ever  produced,  were  based  upon 
limited  comparisons  and  provincial  standards.  Taste  affords  us  no 
innate  or  fundamental  laws  of  discrimination,  and  a  judgment  on  in- 
tellectual power  of  any  kind  is  usually  exaggerated  ninety-nine  times 
where  it  is  correct  once.  The  multitude  is  too  often  dazzled  by  the 
wrong  beauty,  and  carried  away  by  some  garish  maiden  from  Chios 
or  Rhodes  who  turns  out  in  the  end  to  be  no  divinity  at  all.  Mr. 
Stephens  might  easily  be  a  distinguished  leader  in  any  one  of  tho 
States,  but  it  would  be  quite  a  different  affair  to  lead  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States  in  its  palmiest  days.  In  that  body,  a  quarter 
of  a  century  ago,  the  odds  were  overwhelmingly  against  any  new  man 
in  the  world.  On  this  account  we  think  it  one  of  the  highest  glories 
any  living  statesman  has  achieved  that  these  rash  and  hazardous 
predictions  were  from  the  very  beginning  almost  entirely  fulfilled. 

Mr.  Stephens  entered  Congress  in  1843,  and  was  a  member 
consecutively  for  sixteen  years,  retiring  voluntarily  in  1859,  amidst 
expressions  of  universal  regret  throughout  the  Union. 

The  Texas  question,  with  all  its  excitements,  was  before  Con- 
gress when  he  entered  it.  He  at  once  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
legislative  deliberations  on  that  subject.  He  opposed  the  Tyler 
treaty,  and  advocated  the  incorporation  or  admission  of  the  Republic 
of  Texas  as  a  State  of  the  Federal  Union  by  joint  resolution  of  both 
Houses  of  Congress.    This  the  Whigs  assailed  bitterly.    The  strength 

450 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPHENS. 

of  parties  was  nearly  equal,  and  the  House  of  Representatives  be- 
came the  arena  of  angry  conflict.  The  public  mind  was  violently 
excited,  and  sectional  discord  grew  apace.  Seven  plans  for  the  set- 
tlement of  the  vexed  question,  beginning  with  that  of  the  Tyler  ad- 
ministration, had  been  successively  introduced  and  rejected.  Some 
six  or  eight  Whig  members  from  the  South  stood  aloof  from  the 
Free  Soil  Whigs  of  the  North,  and  now  practically  held  the  balance 
of  power  in  the  House.  Mr.  Stephens  was  among  them.  Every 
other  plan  had  failed  before  Mr.  Stephens  and  Milton  Brown  of 
Tennessee  came  forward  with  their  celebrated  resolutions  for  the 
admission  of  Texas  on  the  13th  of  January,  1845.  These  resolu- 
tions were  drawn  by  Brown,  on  a  line  indicated  by  Mr.  Stephens 
in  conferences  between  tliem  on  the  subject.  Texas  was  admitted 
into  the  Union  under  them.  The  Whigs  denounced  them  at  the 
time  as  unconstitutional;  but  six  years  later  the  great  Whig  states- 
man and  constitutional  expounder  gave  them  the  sanction  of  his 
high  authority.  In  his  famous  7th-of-March  speech  Mr.  Webster 
referred  to  these  resolutions  as  "  solemn  guaranties  of  law."  He 
attributed  their  authorship  to  John  C.  Calhoun  and  Robert  J. 
Walker,  and  added,  "  I  must  say  that  they  did  their  business 
faithfully  and  thoroughly  ;  there  was  no  botch  left  in  it.  They 
rounded  it  off,  and  made  as  close  joiner- work  as  ever  was  exhibited." 
This  encomium  belonged  to  Mr.  Stephens.  He  had  now  severed 
nearly  every  tie  between  himself  and  the  Whigs.  Diverging  from 
them  on  Annexation,  he  widened  the  separation  still  more  by  his 
opposition  to  the  Protective  poUcy,  as  well  as  to  that  of  receiving 
Abolition  petitions  in  Congress.  Mr.  Stephens  supported  Henry 
Clay,  however,  for  the  Preidency  in  1844,  though  differing  from 
him  on  some  of  the  great  questions  of  the  day.  He  had  faith 
in  Clay's  patriotism,  and  believed  he  would  prove  an  able  Presi- 
dent. 

The  Mexican  War  developed  Mr.  Stephens'  power  as  a  political 
leader  in  a  very  striking  manner.  He  regarded  the  war  as  a  wan- 
ton and  unconstitutional  aggression  on  Mexico,  and  charged  its 
responsibility  on  President  Polk.  The  opposition  in  Congress  was 
then  in  a  hopeless  minority  of  about  seventy,  and  the  Administration 
party  raised  the  hue  and  cry  against  Stephens,  and  in  reply  to  his 
denunciations  of  the  conflict,  which  he  declared  to  be  one  of  con- 
quest, they  defiantly  voted  the  war  to  be  the  act  of  Mexico,  aggres- 
sively and  unjustly  inaugiu-ated  by  that  country.     The  supporters 

451 


ALEXANDER    H.    STEPHENS. 

of  Mr.  Polk  thus  fired  the  popular  heart,  and  awed  into  silence  the 
wavering  minority,  who  kept  before  their  eyes  the  fate  of  those  who 
had  opposed  the  War  of  1812.  Mr.  Stephens  met  the  storm  of 
obloquy  by  which  he  was  assailed  with  intrepidity,  and  his  opposi- 
tion soon  began  to  tell.  He  now  presented  that  important  anti- 
war resolution  which  revolutitmized  the  complexion  of  parties, 
baffled  the  Administration  in  the  midst  of  the  war,  and  gave  the 
opposition  the  majority  in  the  Congress  which  met  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1847.  Single-handed  but  in  himself  a  host,  he  offered  his 
resolution  with  the  results  mentioned.  In  the  next  Congress  a 
resolution  of  thanks  to  one  of  the  generals  for  gallantry  and  courage 
in  the  field  was  offered.  An  amencbnent  suggested  by  Stephens 
was  proposed  by  Mr.  Ashmun,  of  Massachusetts,  to  the  effect  that 
the  vote  of  thanks  should  be  passed  to  the  brave  officer  and  his 
men,  but  that  these  words  should  be  added  to  the  resolution  ;  "  m 
a  war  unconstitutionalhj  begun."  A  great  sensation  occurred  in 
the  House.  The  friends  of  the  Administration  were  elated.  They 
declared  their  readiness  to  meet  the  issue,  and  invited  all  those  who 
desired  to  walk  into  their  political  graves  to  vote  for  this  "dis- 
loyal" rider  to  a  "patriotic"  resolution.  The  gauntlet  was  taken 
up,  and,  on  a  vote  being  had,  the  amendment  was  adopted  by  the 
House.  That  vote  by  the  impeaching  branch  of  the  Government 
did  its  work  thoroughly.  The  resolution  as  amended  never  passed; 
the  war  party  dropped  it.  John  Quiney  Adams  was  stricken  with 
death  while  it  was  pending,  the  House  adjourned,  and  the  vote  of 
thanks  with  the  sting  in  its  tail  was  put  off  to  the  Greek  Kalends. 
The  treaty  of  Gaudaloupe  Hidalgo  soon  followed.  Mr.  Stephens 
had  now  become  the  people's  tribune. 

After  his  speech  against  the  war  during  the  last  session, — 
the  16th  June,  1846,  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  first  debaters 
in  the  country.  This  speech  led  to  his  introduction  to  Mr.  Calhoun, 
who  not  only  congratulated  him  upon  its  ability  and  eloquence,  but 
followed  it  up  some  time  after  by  one  of  his  own  grand  arguments 
in  the  Senate  on  the  same  side.  Thus,  after  be  had  been  in  Con- 
gress but  a  little  over  two  years,  Mr.  Stephens  had  won  their  vol- 
untary tribute  of  praise  from  the  two  great  shining  lights  in  our 
political  firmament — Webster  and  Calhoun.  Mr.  Webster  extolled 
the  completeness  of  his  work  in  the  annexation  of  Texas  ;  Mr. 
Calhoun  recognized  the  statesman  in  his  speech  on  the  Mexican 
war.    This  was  reward  enough  for  the  young  Kepresentative.     Praise 

452 


ALEXANDER    H.    STEPHENS. 

from  such  a  source,  laudari  a  laudato  viro,  is  perhaps  the  most 
flattering  homage  ever  man  receives. 

Mr.  Stephens  was  not  in  any  sense  a  mere  party  leader,  and 
after  1849  never  entered  a  Whig  caucus.  But  whatever  party  lie 
acted  with  always  found  in  him  an  admirable  tactician.  During 
the  Polk  administration  he  was,  by  the  force  of  circumstances, 
the  leader  of  the  opposition  in  the  House,  and  distinguished 
himself  fully  as  well  as  Mr.  Clay  had  done  in  the  same  role 
in  the  Senate  during  the  administration  of  John  Tyler.  The 
imaginary  picture  of  what  Mr.  Clay  called  the  Loco-Foco  Irrup- 
tion on  the  Whig  President  at  the  White  House,  when  Calhoun, 
Benton,  Buchanan,  and  others  lost  their  temper  and  tried  to 
deny  and  explain  away  the  truth  of  the  rehearsal  in  which  Clay 
was  touching  off  the  Democrats,  was  a  transcendent  display  of 
mimicry,  humor,  and  invention.  Mr.  Stephens  sometimes  scourged 
the  flanks  of  the  Administration  party  in  the  House,  while  Mr 
Polk  was  President,  with  scarcely  less  power  of  raillery  and  ridi- 
cule, and  with  equal  if  not  greater  power  of  argument.  His 
industry,  address,  and  eloquence,  as  well  as  his  diversified  re- 
sources of  mind,  made  him  always  the  recognized  champion  of  any 
measure  he  warmly  espoused.  Mr.  Stephens  beheld  in  General 
Taylor  an  opportune  and  worthy  man,  and  was  persuaded  that 
the  old  hero  of  Buena  Vista,  if  elevated  to  the  White  House, 
might  be  instrumental  in  promoting  the  best  interests  of  the  coun- 
try. He  accordingly  declared  him  his  choice  for  the  Presidency, 
was  chiefly  responsible  for  the  organization  among  Congressmen 
known  as  the  "  Young  Indians,"  started  in  the  interests  of  General 
Taylor,  and  was  the  author  of  a  great  variety  of  appropriate  elec- 
tioneering measures.  Abraham  Lincoln,  then  in  Congress,  was  one 
of  Mr.  Stephens'  active  co-laborers  in  the  Taylor  movement,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  "  Young  Indians'  "  club.  After  General  Tay- 
lor's election  Mr.  Stephens  became  one  of  the  powers  belilnd  th'j 
throne  of  acknowledged  weight.  He  was  offered  but  declined  a  seat 
in  the  Cabinet,  preferring  to  retain  his  post  in  Congress.  Shortly 
before  the  President's  death  serious  differences  arose  between  Mr. 
Stephens  and  the  Executive.  After  the  death  of  Taylor,  Mr.  Fill- 
more received  his  supjiort  and  confirmed  his  influence  with  the  new 
Administration.  Mr.  Stephens  had  no  afiiliatious  with  party  during 
the  Presidential  term  of  General  Pierce,  but  acted  for  the  best 
interests  of  the  country  without  regard  to  the  political  organizations 

453 


ALEXANDER    H.    STEPHENS. 

of  the  day.  While  the  line  of  conduct  pursued  by  Pierce  did  not 
altogether  accord  with  his  own  views  of  public  requirements,  there 
were  many  measures  of  great  moment  in  which  the  Administratiou 
received  his  powerful  support.  His  part  in  the  Territorial  legisla- 
tion of  1854  was  important  if  not  controlling.  The  questions  at 
issue  were  vital,  and  involved  the  principles  of  the  Compromise  of 
1850.  These  principles  were  attacked  by  Mr.  Sumner  iu  the  Sen- 
ate, and  three  thousand  New  England  divines  arrayed  themselves 
on  the  side  of  that  Senator  in  the  effort  to  undo  the  work  which 
Webster  and  Clay  had  bequeathed  to  the  country  as  their  last  and 
most  important  public  service.  The  reaffirmation  in  effect  of  the 
adjustment  measures  of  1850  was  made  by  Congress  in  1854,  and 
in  this  pacific  work  Judge  Douglas  and  Mr.  Stephens  took  the  con- 
trolling 2)art.  The  latter  now  considered  his  mission  in  Congress  at 
an  end;  the  great  measures  with  which  he  had  been  identified  were 
adjusted;  and  the  aftairs  of  state  no  longer  seemed  to  call  on  him 
to  sacrifice  his  abiding  wish  for  retirement  and  repose.  He  accord- 
ingly made  it  known  to  his  constituents  that  he  would  not  be  a  can- 
didate  for  re-election,  and  bade  his  fiiends  adieu  at  the  close  of  the 
session  of  1854.  But  a  new  issue,  a  strange  and  sinister  movement, 
was  spreading  with  the  virulence  of  epidemic  throughout  the  coun- 
try. It  was  Know-Nothingism.  The  mysterious  Sam,  like  jEneas 
at  the  court  of  Dido,  was  robed  in  mystery  and  darkness.  It  was 
already  entrenched  in  the  North,  and  was  now  sweeping  Southward. 
Everywhere  its  secret  lodges  and  dark  lanterns  were  to  be  heard  of 
— everywhere  the  religious  and  j^olitical  leprosy  was  sapping  and 
mining  down  into  the  bowels  of  society  and  the  vitals  of  the  Con- 
stitution. Mr.  Stephens,  like  the  eloquent  Henry  A.  Wise,  re- 
garded Know-Nothingism  with  horror  and  detestation.  He  was 
the  idol  of  his  people;  but  when  he  denounced  this  howling  dervise, 
and  unmasked  its  repulsive  features,  the  people  who  had  caught  the 
contagion  turned  away  in  anger,  and  followed  not  him  any  more. 
He  was  now  taunted  with  the  unmerited  charge  of  fearing  to  pre- 
sent himself  for  re-election  in  view  of  the  popular  condemnation  of 
bis  present  course.  He  was  challenged  to  come  out  in  the  contest 
in  order  that  he  might  read  his  political  death-warrant  at  the  bal- 
lot-box. Mr.  Stephens  was  not  moved  from  his  projjriety  by  this 
unbecoming  clamor.  He  however  firmly  believed  that  the  isublic 
liberties  were  threatened  with  deadly  jjeril  by  tliis  dangerous  secret 
organization,  and  felt  it  to  be  his  imperative  duty  to  do  all  in  his 

454 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPUENS. 

power  to  arrest  its  influence  for  evil.     He  accordingly  chauged  his 
purpose,  and  announced  himself  as  a  candidate  for  re-election  to 
Congress  in  a  speech  of  masterful  eloquence.     The  Know-Nothiao's 
conducted  a  desperate  canvass  against  him,  and  at  the  start  were 
said  to  have  had  some  3,000  majority  in  the  district.     Never  had 
Mr.  Stephens  greater  need  of  all  his  unrivalled  powers  as  a  popular 
advocate;  never  did  he  exert  them  with  greater  effect.     He  spoke 
everywhere  in  the  district,  aroused  tlie  public  mind  to  a  full  sense 
of  the  revolutionary  dangers  which  impended,  and  was   triumph- 
antly returned  by  3,000  majority.     Know-Nothingism  in   Georgia 
was  effectually  killed.     He  re-entered  Congress  with  increased  pres- 
tige, and  was  hailed  on  all  sides  with  acclamation.     The  press  of 
all  parties  recognized  him  as  the  most  powerful  orator  and  one  of  the 
leading  statesman  in  Congress  during  the  last  five  years  that  he  held 
his  seat.     No  other  man  in  the  body  commanded  so  large  a  share 
of  the  public  attention,  no  one  else  drew  together  such  vast  and 
distinguished  numbers  of  people  in  arising  to  address  the  House. 
He  retired  in  1859.     His  last  act  was  to  bring  Oregon  into  the 
Union.  His  speech  on  the  bill  which,  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Territories  he  had  himself  reported,  is  one  of  the  most  favorable 
examples  of  his  eloquence  and  philosophic  breadth  of  thought. 
Aristotle  must  have  been  the  teacher  of  so  much  logic;  Cicero  of  so 
much  rhetoric.     Mr.  Stephens  rendered  Mr.  Buchanan's  adminis- 
tration independent  but  efficient  aid  in  the  House,  and  unsuccess- 
fully sought  to  effect  a  reconciliation  between  the  President  and  Judge 
Douglas  during  his  last  days  in  Washington.     He  foresaw  the  dan- 
gers and  calamities  by  which  the  country  was  threatened  before  he 
retired  from  Congress  in  1859,  and  endeavored  to  impress  others 
with  his  own  views  of  the  way  in  which  they  might  be  averted.    In 
that  gloomy  winter  of  1860-61  he  was  at  home  in  Georgia,  and 
was  not  an  eye-witness  of  the  fulfillment  of  his  impressive  warn- 
ings.   The  Buchanan  Cabinet  fell  asunder.    The  old  members  were 
resigning,  and  new  and  comparatively  untried  men  were  called  to 
take  their  places  by  the  side  of  the  Executive.     "  People  now  keep 
to  their  houses  in  this  city,"  exclaimed  a  Washington  wit,  "  for 
any  one  seen  on  the  streets  is  in  danger  of  being  pressed  into  the 
Cabinet."     And  the  storms  gathered  on  all  sides,  like  misfortunes 
and  disasters,  around   the   sinking  President  and   the  imperilled 
Republic. 

It  should  be  mentioned  that  Judge  Douglas  and  some  of  his 

455 


ALEXANDER    H.    STEPHENS. 

friends,  after  the  breaking  up  of  the  Charleston  Convention,  deter- 
mined to  press  the  name  of  Mr.  Stephens  for  the  Presidency  on  the 
re-assembling  at  Baltimore.  The  disruption  in  the  latter  city  alone 
prevented  this  movement  on  the  part  of  the  Douglas  men.  This 
design  was  wholly  unknown  to  Mr.  Stephens. 

The  most  memorable  of  all  Mr.  Stephens'  speeches  was  that 
delivered  by  invitation  before  the  Georgia  Legl-ilature,  on  the  14th 
of  November,  1860.  It  was  a  supreme  appeal  for  the  Union,  such 
as  Mr.  Webster  made  in  the  similar  dangers  of  1850.  It  created  a 
profound  impression  in  the  North,  and  led  to  a  private  correspond- 
ence between  Mr.  Lincoln,  President  elect,  and  Mr.  Stephens. 
Whether  the  rumor  that  the  former  intended  to  invite  the  latter  to 
a  seat  in  his  Cabinet  had  any  foundation  in  truth,  it  is  now  impos- 
sible to  say;  the  promptitude  with  which  Mr.  Stephens  cast  his 
fortunes  with  the  South,  after  the  secession  of  Georgia,  of  course 
dissipated  the  idea  if  any  such  was  ever  entertained.  It  is  well 
known  that  Mr.  Stephens  opposed  secession;  but  the  motives  of 
that  opposition  have  been  frequently  misrepresented.  He  always 
believed  in  the  ultimate  sovereignty  of  the  several  States,  and 
always  proclaimed  that  his  allegiance  was  due  to  Georgia.  En- 
larged views  of  policy  and  patriotic  devotion  to  the  Union  inclined 
him  to  the  side  of  healing  and  moderate  measures.  He  advised 
against  a  resort  to  secession  on  considerations  of  expediency,  but 
firmly  believed  in  the  right,  and  maintained  the  sufficiency  of  the 
provocation.  Neither  at  the  period  referred  to,  nor  at  any  other 
period  of  his  life,  did  Mr.  Stephens  hold  or  express  views  inconsistent 
with  the  principles  ascribed  to  him  here.  He  has  been  represented 
in  certain  pictorial  books  of  "  history,"  and  other  partisan  publica- 
tions, as  one  who  denounced  secession  as  a  crime,  and  speeches  to 
the  same  effect  have  been  published  over  his  name.  All  such  state- 
ments are  unfounded,  and  all  such  speeches  forgeries. 

Notwithstanding  his  vote  against  secession,  and  his  eloquent 
appeals  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  Mr.  Stephens  was  elected 
Vice-President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  Dm-ing  the  war  it 
was  complained  against  him  by  some  of  the  old  Fire-Eaters  that  he 
gave  the  Administration  of  the  Southern  Government  a  cold  and 
halting  support — that  he  was  not  in  full  and  harmonious  accord 
with  those  who  shaped  and  controlled  the  public  policy.  This 
opinion  was  founded  on  a  partial  and  illiberal  estimate  of  his 
character  and  services,  at  a  time  when  men's  minds  were  hurried 

456 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPHENS. 

away  by  the  tumults  and  passions  inseparable  from  a  state  of 
actual  war.     Such  accusations  artfully  spread  abroad,  and  calmly 
endured  without  murmur  on  the  part  of  the  man  against  whom 
they  are  directed,  are  apt  in  such  a  crisis  to  grow  into  the  one  thino- 
more  resistless  than  Truth  itself,  from  which  there  lies  no  appeal 
but  to  the  future,  that  spectre  of  demagogues  and  Nemesis  of 
trimming  politicians^the  arbitrary  voice  of  public  opinion.     It 
was  objected  against  Mr.  Stephens  by  some  of  those  whose  counsels 
prevailed,  that  his  physical  infirmities  in  a  great  measure  incapaci- 
tated him  from  leading  in  a  great  revolution.     It  is  sufficient  to  say, 
even  if  that  criterion  of  ability  is  accepted,  that  the  objectors  them- 
selves fell  sadly  short  of  public  expectation.     The  time  has  not  yet 
come   to  write  the   history  of  that   terrible,   political   cataclysm. 
There  must  be  no  respect  for  persons,  no  friendships  to  serve,  and 
no  prejudices  to  cloud  the  judgment,  on  the  part  of  the  historian 
who  dedicates  his  labors  to  the   narrative   of  what  is  popularly 
called  tJie  civil  war  in  America.     But  it  properly  belongs  to  the 
subject  in  hand  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  measures  pro- 
posed  by   Mr.    Stephens   were   not   adopted   by  the   Confederate 
Administration.     The  chief  of  these  was  his  famous  scheme  for  the 
purchase  by  Government  of  all  the  cotton  in  the  country,  in  order 
to  sustain  the  public  credit.    Three  to  four  millions  of  bales  of  cot- 
ton annually,  the  average  crop  of  the  South,  meant  three  or  four 
hundred  millions  of  gold  in  the  treasury — but  it  meant  death  at 
the  same  time  to  private  speculation.     Now  although  we  read  in 
the  Inspired  Book  that  the  Redeemer  drove  the  money-changers  out 
of  the  temple,  it  is  nowhere  remembered  that  they  did  not  return 
after  the  Crucifixion,  and  enshrine  Mammon  again  in  the  place  of 
God.     They  are  still  among  us,  obdurate  of  heart  and  wanting  in 
charity,  practicing  the   old  ways  to  the  end.     Mr.    Stephens  en- 
countered the  opposition  of  the  Treasury  Department — the  measure 
he  proposed  was  pronounced  unconstitutional.     The  private  block- 
ade runner  kept  the  Constitution,  and  the  rest  came  about  in  the 
accelerated   progression  of  cause   and  effect.     Confederate  money 
took  wings  unto  itself,  and  flew  away  into  the  "  region  kites." 

Mr.  Stephens  was  oppressed  by  the  gravity  of  the  situation. 
He  had  grown  old  in  the  public  service,  and  now  had  offered  in  the 
interests  of  the  cau.se  in  which  he  was  embarked  the  counsels  of  a 
philosopher,  and  the  experience  of  a  veteran  statesman.  The  most 
illustrious  men  of  the  age  had  paid  homage  to  his  powers;   Presi- 

457 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPHENS. 

dents  and  Cabinets  had  delighted  to  receive  the  lessons  of  a  serene 
and  benevolent  wisdom  from  his  lips;  for  over  fifteen  years  the 
representatives  of  the  people  had  recognized  in  that  shrunken  and 
emaciated  man  the  master  of  logical  defense,  the  well-furnished 
legislator,  the  Spartacus  of  debate.  But  he  would  be  no  stumbling 
block  to  others.  If  he  could  not  consort  with  the  raw  and  callow 
mind  of  those  who,  with  some  honorable  and  eminent  exceptions, 
were  playing  at  being  founders  of  government  and  law-makers 
for  millions  in  the  garrets  of  Kichmond,  he  was  not  the  man 
to  further  embarrass  a  tottering  cause  by  unavailing  opposition. 
His  last  part  in  the  Confederate  drama  was  acted  in  the  celebrated 
Hampton  Roads  Conference,  of  which  he  has  given  quite  a  full  as 
well  as  minute  detail  in  his  work  upon  the  war. 

He  was  at  his  home  in  Crawfordville  when  the  curtain  fell  on 
the  ruined  South.  He  was  there  put  under  arrest  on  the  11th  of 
May,  1865,  and  conveyed  thence  to  Fort  Warren,  in  the  Bay  of 
Boston,  where  he  languished  in  prison  for  five  months.  He  was  re- 
leased on  parole  in  October.  His  subsequent  election,  in  spite  of 
his  remonstrances,  to  the  United  States  Senate  in  1866  while  the 
conflict  between  President  Johnson  and  Congress  was  raging  ;  his 
testimony  before  the  Reconstruction  Committee  in  Washington 
during  the  same  year  ;  and  his  22d  of  February  speech  before  the 
Georgia  Legislature,  which  was  published  everywhere  throughout 
the  United  States,  and  republished  in  England — are  events  too  fresh 
in  the  public  mind  to  require  elaboration  in  a  hasty  sketch  of  Mr. 
Stephens'  life.  The  President's  policy  was  overthrown,  and  the 
elections  held  under  it  in  the  South  were  annulled  by  Congress. 

Mr.  Stephens  now  enjoyed  the  solace  of  private  life  which  he  had 
sighed  for  so  long.  He  had  been  in  stormy  public  place  for  thirty 
years,  and  at  last  the  great  cares  were  laid  aside  at  the  portals  of 
domesticity  with  as  little  of  blemish  left  on  the  finished  picture  of 
his  political  career  as  appeared  on  that  of  the  Knight  of  Chelsea 
of  old.  Mr.  Stephens  is  a  bachelor.  His  social  virtues  have  always 
surroumled  him  with  a  great  variety  of  agreeable  people.  His  man- 
ners are  engaging  and  full  of  simplicity,  his  conversations  animated 
and  instructive,  and  his  habitudes  of  life  attractive  to  others  in  a 
very  eminent  degree.  His  home  is  the  center  of  a  genuine  hospital- 
ity, and  his  household  united  to  him  by  every  tie  of  affection  and 
admiration.  His  warm  interest  in  the  happiness  of  others  is  pro- 
verbial, and  in  his  private  capacity  it  may  be  said  of  him,  as  Burke 

458 


ALEXANDER    H.    STEPHENS. 

said  of  Howard  in  a  larger  sense,  that  his  life  has  been  a  "  circum- 
navigation of  charity."  His  former  slaves  reverence  his  name.  One 
of  them,  a  young  woman,  married  a  man  in  town,  and  of  course 
went  to  live  with  her  husband,  and  another,  a  young  man,  preferred 
to  be  a  carpenter  rather  than  to  continue  at  farm-work.  With 
these  two  exceptions,  not  one  of  them  has  left  him  since  the  war — 
a  remarkable  circumstance,  if  not  without  a  parallel.  Judge  Lin- 
ton Stephens,  his  only  brother,  is  the  light  of  Mr.  Stephens'  life. 
His  love  for  this  brother  is  boundless.  He  became  his  guardian  in 
1837,  and  every  advantage  of  letters  and  learned  association  was 
placed  in  the  younger's  way.  The  Alma  Mater  of  both  of  them 
was  the  same.  The  younger  brother  was  a  law  student  of  Judo-e 
Tucker  at  the  University  of  Virginia,  and  of  Judge  Story  at  Cam- 
bridge; next,  a  brilliant  and  able  lawyer  of  large  practice;  later,  on 
the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Georgia  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
five;  and  he  is  again  in  full  practice  at  the  bar.  Linton  Stephens 
is  a  man  of  culture  and  ability,  and  a  figure  of  mark  at  this  day  in 
the  South. 

Alexander  H.  Stephens,  although  borne  down  with  bodily  in- 
firmities, has  not  been  idle  during  his  retirement.  That  which  is 
regarded  as  an  unmixed  evil  sometimes  turns  out  to  be  a  blessing- 
in  disguise.  Before  the  war  the  best  minds  of  the  South  were  called 
to  the  councils  of  State,  and  taken  up  with  the  consideration  of 
political  and  present  interests,  rather  than  with  the  labors  of  the 
closet  and  the  noble  mission  of  addressing  posterity.  The  wealth 
of  the  North,  and  the  attending  fact  that  some  of  her  cities  early 
became  centers  of  great  intellectual  activity,  outside  of  politics,  gave 
her  the  vantage  ground  over  the  South;  but  the  war  and  its  re- 
sults threw  the  leaders  of  Southern  thought  into  i-etirement,  and 
thus  Mr.  Stephens  has  enjoyed  an  opportunity,  which  otherwise  he 
might  never  have  enjoyed,  to  turn  aside  his  thoughts  from  the  con- 
templation of  present,  emergent  interests  into  channels  of  a  more 
permanent  character:  thus  he  has  had  the  time  to  devote  his  labors 
in  the  closet  to  the  preparation  of  his  Constitutional  View,  a  work 
which,  as  John  Adams  once  said  of  Webster's  Bunker  Hill  oration, 
will  be  read  centuries  hence  with  as  much  interest  as  at  the  present' 
hour.  The  people  may  think  their  business  too  pressing  to  read  this 
book  now,  and  to  ponder  its  lessons,  although  a  hundred  thousand 
copies  have  been  sold.  They  have  not  time  to  heed  its  arguments — 
they  must  go  to  their  farms  or  their  merchandise;  but  the  day  will 

459 


ALEXANDER    H.     STEPHENS. 

come  when  the  Constitutional  View  of  the  late  War  between  the 
American  States  will  take  its  place  besides  the  Annals  of  Tacitus, 
the  writings  of  Burke,  and  the  luminous  expositions  of  Webstei",  as 
a  part  of  the  treasured  archives  of  men. 

Mr.  Stephens  has  traced  up  the  genesis  of  our  constitutional  his- 
tory to  its  source,  and  made  tlie  landmarks  monumental.  His  work 
is  another  Federalist,  revised  and  enlarged,  whose  precepts  are  accom- 
panied by  a  multitude  of  new  and  pregnant  examples.  The  Lon- 
don Saturday  Review,  the  most  generally-received  critical  author- 
ity in  England,  and  a  paper  whose  sympathies  are  not  Southern, 
closes  an  elaborate  criticism  on  Mr.  Stephens'  Gonstitutional  View 
in  the  following  language: 

"  It  is  impossible,  within  our  limits,  to  give  a  fair  idea  even  of  the  outlines  of 
Buch  an  argument,  much  more  to  convey  a  just  impression  of  the  lucidity,  power 
of  thought,  vast  and  appropriate  reading,  and  vigorous  reasoning  by  which  it  is 
sustained.  It  would  be  difficult  to  name  a  more  perfect  masterpiece  of  constitu- 
tional-reasoning and  political  disquisition — a  work  which  might,  with  greater  ad- 
vantage, be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  young  lawyer  who  desired  to  see  how  those 
high  questions  which  are  the  common  ground  of  the  lawyer,  the  historian,  and  the 
statesman,  can  be  treated  by  one  who  combines  the  qualifications  of  all  three.  The 
book  is,  perhaps,  hardly  suited  to  the  general  reader,  but  it  may  be  confidently 
recommended  as  indispensable  to  every  one  who  wishes  really  to  understand  either 
the  Federal  Constitution  or  the  Civil  War,  and  it  will  be  ranked  among  the  most 
valuable  of  those  materials  which  the  writers  of  this  age  are  accumulating  for  the 
future  historian  of  America." 

Since  the  completion  of  the  Constitutional  View,  its  author  is 
said  to  be  engaged  in  the  preparation  of  a  School  History  of  the 
United  States,  a  work  which  the  great  events  of  recent  years  have 
rendered  a  desideratum. 

We  have  presented  in  the  preceding  pages  a  meagre  outline  of 
the  piincipal  facts  of  Mr.  Stephens'  life.  Many  interesting  reminis- 
cences and  anecdotes  of  the  man  are  at  our  command;  but  while 
such  pleasant  side-pictures  present  character  in  a  great  variety  of 
aspects  and  give  to  biography  the  amenity  of  landscape,  the  Umits 
of  this  sketch  do  not  allow  of  their  introduction. 

460 


"Z^^^nU^yy-  i^«^^-e^ 


^^t.Z,^^^'^^/ 


S.   OAKLET  VANDERPOEL,   M.D. 


^|K.  S.  OAKLEY  VANDEPtPOEL,  of  Albany,  N.  Y., 
justly  ranks  among  the  foremost  of  his  profession. 
Though  yet  in  the  prime  of  life,  he  has  acquired  a 
wide  reputation  for  his  skill  and  accomplishments,  and 
has  achieved  the  most  honorable  distinction  which  his 
jjrofessional  brethren  of  the  State  can  confer.  He  was  bora 
at  Kinderhook,  Columbia  county,  February  22d,  1824. 
His  father  was  a  physician  of  considerable  local  celebrity,  and  other 
members  of  the  family  have  become  prominent  in  various  depart- 
ments of  intellectual  effort  and  business  enterprise.  His  boyhood 
and  youth  were  passed  in  his  native  place;  and  much  out-door  life, 
in  that  beautiful  and  healthful  district,  contributed  to  the  develop- 
ment of  a  vigorous  and  robust  constitution. 

At  an  early  age  he  completed  his  preparatory  training  in  the 
Kinderhook  Academy,  and  entered  upon  his  collegiate  course  in  the 
University  of  New  York,  of  which  institution  the  venerable  and 
scholarly  Theodore  Fi'elinghuysen  was  then  Chancellor.  Bearing 
its  diploma,  he  returned  to  begin  the  study  of  medicine  with  his 
father,  and,  after  a  thorough  course  at  home  and  in  the  institution, 
graduated  at  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  in  the  spring 
of  1845.  For  the  next  two  years  he  was  associated  in  business  with 
his  father.  But  he  still  regarded  his  labors  as  only  preparatory  to 
the  real  professional  career  he  had  marked  out,  and,  in  the  fall  of 
1847,  went  to  Paris  to  pursue  his  studies,  with  the  superior  advan- 
tages belonging  to  that  brilliant  capital.  It  was  a  remarkable  pe- 
riod. Paris  was  in  the  midst  of  profound  agitation.  The  unpop- 
ular ministry  of  Gruizot,  and  the  trembling  throne  of  the  Citizen 
King,  were  tottering  to  their  fall.  This  political  ferment  culmi- 
nated in  the  violent  Revolution  of  February,  1848,  ending  in  the 
abdication  of  Louis  Phillippe,  and  the  proclamation  of  the  Second 
Republic.  Dr.  Vanderpoel  witnessed  those  memorable  and  turbu- 
lent scenes,  and,  as  the  seething  tumult  was  unpropitious  to  the 
calm  prosecution  of  studies,  he   traveled  through   the  South  of 

461 


S.    OAKLEY    VANDERPOEL,    M.   D. 

France  and  Italy,  witnessing  at  Lyons,  Marseilles,  Naples,  Rome, 
Florence,  and  Milan,  the  various  acts  of  the  revolutionary  drama 
then  exciting  all  Europe.  Immediately  after  the  bloody  days  of 
June,  he  returned  to  the  French  capital,  and  remained  for  a  consid- 
erable period. 

In  the  spring  of  1850  he  settled  in  Albany,  where  he  speedily 
acquired  a  remunerative  practice,  which  has  ever  since  been  flat- 
tering and  progressive.  He  was  soon  after  married  to  Gertrude, 
daughter  cf  Dr.  Peter  Wendell,  Chancellor  of  the  Eegents  of  the 
University.  In  1857,  Gov.  King  appointed  him  Surgeon-General 
of  the  State,  and  three  years  later  he  was  chosen  President  of  the 
Albany  County  Medical  Society,  being  also  re-elected  the  following 
year.  In  1861,  he  was  again  invited  to  the  office  of  Surgeon-Gen- 
eral by  Gov.   Morgan. 

The  position  proved,  in  this  case,  not  one  of  mere  empty  honor. 
The  inauguration  of  the  war,  shortly  after  his  term  began,  imposed 
duties  and  responsibilities  far  more  arduous,  delicate,  and  important 
than  had  ever  before  devolved  upon  that,  or  any  similar,  place  in 
this  country.  It  became  necessary,  without  the  guide  of  precedent 
or  experience,  to  improvise  a  vast  and  systematic  bureau,  meeting 
every  requirement  attaching  to  the  complete  medical  organization 
of  a  great  force.  There  were  many  militia  regiments  to  be  promptly 
provided  with  medical  supplies  and  instruments,  as  they  hurried  to 
the  field.  There  were  numerous  volunteer  regiments  rapidly  assem- 
bling, and  requiring  immediate  care  for  their  sick,  and  immediate 
a'ttention  to  their  permanent  organization.  There  were  hundreds 
of  surgeons  and  assistants  coming  from  every  section  of  the  State, 
and  every  grade  of  the  profession,  whose  qualifications  were  to  be 
examined  and  decided.  New  regiments  were  uninterruptedly  or- 
ganized, and  old  regiments  demanded  constant  attention,  even  after 
they  had  passed  into  the  service  of  the  United  States,  in  order  that 
a  competent  medical  staff  might  be  maintained.  This  last  duty 
was  made  ijeculiarly  harassing  and  exacting  by  the  crude  system  of 
the  General  Government  during  the  first  two  years  of  the  war.  In 
many  cases  the  medical  officers  no  sooner  became  conversant  with 
their  duties  than  the  novelty  and  romance  vanished,  their  resigna- 
tions were  offered  and  accepted,  and  the  Surgeon-General  required 
to  fill  the  vacancies  with  such  promptitude  that  the  public  service 
should  suffer  no  detriment. 

The  magnitude  of  the  responsibility,  and  the  severity  of  the 

462 


S.    OAKLEY    VANDERPOEL,    M.D. 

labor  thus  imposed,  may  be  juclgcd  from  the  fact  that  there  were 
between  six  and  seven  hundred  positions  upon  the  medical  staff  to 
be  kept  filled  with  capable  officers.  A  still  more  significant  testi- 
mony is  embodied  in  the  statement  that,  at  one  time,  the  Surgeon- 
General  was  called  upon  to  make  over  five  hundred  appointments 
in  the  space  of  six  weeks. 

Nor  was  this  all.  He  was  obhged  to  establish  and  perfect  a 
system  of  promotion  which  should  be  just  without  favoritism,  and 
confer  reward  without  impairing  the  efficiency  of  the  service.  His 
patronage  was  immense.  With  hundreds  of  officers  in  his  depart- 
ment, upon  whose  respective  merits  none  but  himself  could  decide, 
it  required  a  nice  sense  of  honor  and  a  wise  discrimination  to  dis- 
tribute the  appointments  in  such  a  way  that  the  good  of  the  general 
service  might  be  harmonized  with  a  recognition  of  just  personal 
claims. 

Nothing  could  put  the  professional  acquirements  and  the  execu- 
tive talent  of  a  man  to  a  severer  test  than  these  varied,  complicated, 
and  difficult  duties  ;  and  it  is  but  to  repeat  the  judgment  of  the 
highest  authorities  to  say  that  they  were  performed  by  Dr.  Vander- 
poel  with  signal  ability.  His  successful  administration  eHcited  the 
official  approval  of  both  the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  Governor  of 
the  State,  and  constitutes  an  important  chapter  in  the  association 
of  New  York  with  the  great  contest. 

In  1867,  he  was  appointed  to  the  chair  of  General  Pathology 
and  Clinical  Medicine  in  the  Albany  Medical  College,  which  he  held 
for  three  years,  and  then  resigned  for  personal  reasons.  About  the 
same  time  he  was  appointed  a  Manager  of  the  State  Lunatic  Asylum 
at  Utica,  a  position  still  retained.  In  February,  1870,  he  was 
elected  President  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
the  highest  recognition  in  the  power  of  his  professional  brethren  to 
bestow. 

Dr.  Vanderpoel  is  now  in  the  full  ligor  of  health,  and  engaged 
exclusively  in  his  professional  duties.  As  a  physician,  he  is  equally 
learned  in  theory  and  skillful  in  practice.  To  large  native  endow- 
ments he  adds  the  highest  cultivation.  An  extensive  library,  whose 
ample  stores  are  carefully  enriched  with  all  the  latest  publications, 
both  American  and  foreign,  keeps  him  fully  abreast  of  the  ripest 
thought  and  best  achievements  in  medical  science.  He  has,  also, 
a  keen  taste  for  general  literature  ;  and,  besides  being  a  succes.sful 
physician,  is  a  gentleman  of  large  public  spirit  and  genial  culture. 

463 


S.     OAKLEY     VANDERPOEL,     M.    D. 

Dr.  Vanderpoel  was,  in  1872,  called  by  Goveruor  Hoffman  to 
take  charge  of  the  Quarantine  Department  of  the  Port  of  New  York, 
as  Health  Officer  of  the  port 

The  irregularities  of  this  office  for  many  years  had  been  the  theme 
of  discussion  in  legislative  councils  and  commercial  conventions,  and 
nothing  in  the  way  of  reform  seemed  effective.  The  antagonisms  of 
commerce  and  quarantine  were  developed  to  the  fullest  extent. 

In  this  field,  with  all  its  complications,  there  was  full  scope  for  the 
executive  ability  which  Dr.  Vanderpoel  has  displayed  so  often  before. 
Taken  as  it  really  exists,  and  executed  honestly,  this  is  the  highest 
medical  office  in  the  world.  To  Dr.  Vanderpoel  is  due  the  credit  of 
restoring  it  to  its  true  position.  His  first  action  was  to  reduce  the 
various  parts  of  it  to  one  system.  The  enormous  expenditures,  aver- 
aging more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  annually  for  some  years,  had 
grown  into  a  heterogeneous  organization,  without  much  system. 
Taking  charge  of  it  purely  as  a  sanitary  interest.  Dr.  Vanderpoel 
placed  in  the  hands  of  those  who  owned  merchandise  and  ships,  the 
work  which  had  to  be  done  on  their  vessels,  and  which  thus  could  be 
done  by  them  under  tlie  ordinary  business  rules  that  controlled  such 
things  elsewhere.  The  quarantine  law,  which  had  grown  by  succes- 
sive enactments  into  an  authority  for  oppressive  administration,  was 
codified  and  relaxed  from  some  of  its  pro  visions,  only  retaining  what 
was  necessary  of  sanitary  restraint  for  the  public  safety,  and  these 
changes  urged  upon  the  legislature. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  liistory  of  Quarantine  we  find  Commerce 
sustaining  it.  Mercantile  associations  have  passed  complimentary 
and  approving  resolutions,  and  petitioned  the  legislature  in  favor  of 
every  change  recommended  by  Dr.  Vanderpoel.  Branches  of  trade 
which  had  left  New  York  apparently  forevei-,  to  avoid  the  expenses 
incident  to  their  quarantine  detention,  are  returning.  In  all  tliis 
there  is  no  relaxation  of  the  sanitary  restraint  necessary  for  the  pi'o- 
tection  of  the  whole  northern  and  western  United  States,  which  de- 
pend upon  this  port  for  their  immigration  ;  but  sanitary  regulations 
which  the  Doctor  considered  as  his  legitimate  care,  were  made  more 
strict  than  before  :  the  whole  success  of  his  administration  being  the 
judicious  re-arrangement  of  the  system,  under  curtailed  expenses, 
and  the  exercise  of  the  same  executive  ability  for  which  he  had  been 

distinguished  in  previous  positions. 

464 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 


2|r  E  now  present  the  name  of  one  whose  life  lias  con- 
tributed very  largely  to  the  geneial  prosperity  of  the 
'J%-  country — a  name  inseparably  connected  with  our  com- 
^l  mercial  history,  and  synonymous  with  the  rapid  growth 
^  of  our  merchant  navy.  His  enterprise,  genius,  and  suc- 
cess are  known  and  felt  the  world  over  ;  and  we  propose 
to  follow  the  course  of  his  life,  briefly  noting,  in  many 
instances,  the  motives  of  action,  as  well  as  the  acts  themselves,  and 
thus  adding  a  valuable  page  to  history,  while  furnishing  incen- 
tives to  young  men  everywhere. 

The  sturdy  Knickerbocker  habits  of  industry,  developed  so  early, 
and  forming,  as  it  were,  the  corner-stone  in  the  character  of  Com- 
modore Vanderbilt,  may  be  traced  to  his  ancestors,  who  left  Holland 
for  America  at  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  New  York.  His 
father,  whose  name  was  also  Cornelius,  settled  on  Staten  Island, 
livino'  very  comfortably  and  pleasantly  on  his  own  farm.  At  that 
time  the  island  was  divided  into  large  estates,  being  worked  by 
those  living  there,  for  the  purpose  of  raising  suppHes  for  the  city. 
Communication  with  New  York  was  of  course  a  necessity,  and 
many  of  the  islanders,  therefore,  kept  small  sail-boats,  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  their  products  to  market.  As  the  inhabitants 
increased,  other  facilities  for  communication  became  necessary,  and 
Mr.  Vanderbilt,  Sr.,  would,  at  times  of  leisure,  undertake  to  convey 
those  not  having  boats  themselves.  Out  of  this,  and  the  demand 
for  some  public  and  regular  communication,  grew  up  a  ferry,  which 
he  established  in  the  form  of  a  perriaugei-,  departing  every  morning 
for  the  city,  and  returning  every  afternoon. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  and  on  the  27th  day  of  May,  1794, 
a  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  to  Mynheer  Vanderbilt. 
As  the  days  of  his  infancy  merged  into  those  of  boyhood,  his  natur- 
ally ambitious  temperament  began  to  develop  itself  and  assume 

465 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

shape.  Books  he  did  not  seem  to  fancy.  It  was  the  practical  of 
life  rather  than  the  theoretical  that  engaged  his  thoughts.  Even 
thus  early  his  aim  appeared  to  be  to  strike  out  new  and  untried 
paths,  rather  than  to  walk  along  the  well-worn  old  ones.  A  school 
was  too  confining  for  his  restless  nature,  and  neither  the  urgent 
entreaties  of  his  mother,  nor  the  more  forcible  logic  of  his  father, 
could  convince  him  of  the  great  importance  of  a  thorough  school 
education.  His  disposition  led  him  to  draw  his  knowledge  from 
another  source,  making  nature  his  instructor  ;  and  so  absorbed  did 
he  become  in  the  execution  of  his  many  plans  and  ideas,  that  it 
■was  with  difficulty  he  could  find  time  for  his  meals. 

But  it  was  not  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  that  he  entered 
upon  his  first   independent  business  venture.     Living  upon    the 
Island,  being  of  necessity  much  upon  the  water,  he  early  developed 
a  fondness  for  that  kind  of  life,  as  affording  the  widest  scope  for  his 
ambition.     Thus  far  he  had  acted  for  others,  but  now  he  wished  to 
strike  out  for  himself,  and  determined,  therefore,  to  have  a  sail- 
boat of  his  own.     He  went  to  his  father  and  made  known  his  plan 
and  desire.     Little  encouragement  did  he  receive,  his  father  deem- 
ing it  rather  a  dangerous  and  uncertain  business  for  so  young  a  boy. 
Not  discouraged,  he  continued  to  plead  his  cause  with  the  greatest 
earnestness,  and  finally  received  the  qualified  promise  that  if  he 
could   accomplish    a   certain  amount  ol    work  on   the   farm,  the 
money  should  be  furnished.     The  task  set  was  no  slight  aflair.    To 
do  it  would  require  time — more  time  than  he  could  consent  to  give, 
with  his  enterprise  delayed.     In  the  absence  of  his  father,  there- 
fore, he  determined  to  make  the  job  a  short  one.     Being  popular 
with  his  companions  in  the  neighborhood,  young  Vanderbilt  im- 
imrted  to  them  his  secret,  and  summoned  them  to  his  aid.  Meeting 
■with  a  hearty  response,  they  all  went  to  work  with  a  will,  and  soon 
completed  the  allotted  task.     At  once  he  reported  to  his  mother 
the  successful  achievement,  and  claimed  the  boat.     Her  aversion  to 
his  proposed  business  was  as  great  as  his  father's,  and  she  also  tried 
to  dissuade  nun.     But  it  was  of  no  use.     His  purpose  was  fixed  ; 
and,  fearing  that  if  this  cherished  project  fell  through,  he  might 
carry  out  his  oft-expressed  intention  of  running  away  to  sea,  she 
gave  him  the  hundred  dollars  as  being  the  lesser  evil.     With  the 
money  in  hand,  he  was  soon  at  the  Port  Eichmond  shore,  where 
the  selected  boat  was  snugly  moored  to  the  dock.     The  purchase 
was  made  at  once,  and  with  a  proud  heart  betook  possession  of  his 

46G 


CORNELIUS    VANDEBBILT. 

long-covetecl  prize.  One  can  easily  imagine  the  sensations  of  this 
boy  of  fourteen,  as  he  first  wallvcd  the  deck  of  his  little  craft,  and 
set  sail  for  home.  He  was  now  a  full-fledged  captain — a  man  of 
business — dependent  upon  his  own  exertions.  What  visions  must 
have  danced  through  his  head  of  future  successes  !  But  every  pic- 
ture has  its  shadows.  As  the  little  boat,  freighted  with  so  many 
hopes,  was  cutting  its  way  through  the  water,  a  rock  in  the  Kills 
was  struck,  and  our,  as  yet,  inexperienced  sailor  was  only  able  to 
run  the  boat  ashore  before  it  sank.  Here  was  certainly  a  discour- 
aging accident.  Still,  nothing  daunted,  the  young  captain  at  once 
brouffht  to  his  service  the  needed  assistance,  and  in  a  few  hours  all 
damage  was  repaired,  and  his  little  craft  safe  and  sound  at  the  Sta- 
pleton  dock. 

An  important  point  had  now  been  gained.  No  great  work,  to 
be  sure,  had  been  accomplished,  but  the  means  to  an  end  were  ob- 
tained. He  had  stepped  out  from  under  his  father's  care,  and  was 
the  owner  and  captain  of  a  boat.  The  world  was  now  before  him. 
He  was  now  in  a  position  to  choose  what  should  be  his  future. 
Many  and  varied  difficulties  at  once  beset  him.  Young  and  in- 
experienced as  he  was,  he  must  necessarily  compete  with  older 
heads,  long  used  to  the  work,  and  with  reputations  made.  He  felt 
that  he  must  fight  or  fail ;  and,  feeling  thus,  at  this  early  day,  when, 
but  sixteen  years  old,  he  set  up  his  first  opposition  line,  a  pro- 
phetic miniature  of  later  efforts. 

Of  course,  in  such  a  position,  and  with  such  ideas,  Vanderbilt 
could  not  be  idle.  He  at  once  made  the  necessary  effort  to  obtain 
business,  and  succeeded  wonderfully.  At  that  time  the  fortifica- 
tions of  Staten  and  Long  Islands  were  being  built  by  Government, 
and  the  carrying  of  laborers  to  and  from  New  York  furnished  work 
for  him  and  his  perriauger,  which  was  quite  remunerative.  Amid, 
however,  these  first  successes,  one  fact  troubled  him.  The  money 
that  bought  his  boat  came  from  his  mother  ;  and  this  being  so,  he 
could  not  feel  that  perfect  independence  his  spirit  craved.  Day  by 
day,  therefore,  from  his  first  earnings,  he  scrupulously  laid  by  every 
cent  that  could  be  saved,  for  the  purpose  of  returning  this  sum ; 
and  but  a  little  time  elapsed  before  he  quietly  placed  in  his 
mother's  lap  the  hundred  dollars.  Probably  a  hapjiier,  prouder 
child  never  lived  than  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  at  that  moment  ;  and 
he  had  certainly  won  the  right  to  be  so. 

We  thus  see  with  what  spmt  and  earnestness  this  mere  boy 

467 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

laid  hold  of  the  stem  realities  before  him.  His  life  was  regukted 
by  self-imposed  rules,  and  with  a  fixedness  of  purpose  as  invariable 
as  the  sun  in  its  circuit.  Among  ofher  things,  he  determined  to 
spend  less  every  week  than  he  earned.  We  have  already  seen  the 
"first  fruit  of  this  careful  management ;  but  it  speedily  produced 
other  results,  for  very  soon  he  was  able  to  extend  his  business,  by 
purchasing  with  his  savings  a  vessel  of  larger  dimensions  than  his 
first  little  craft.  Thus,  for  three  or  four  years,  he  went  on  daily 
adding  to  his  worldly  means,  until,  on  his  eighteenth  birthday,  he 
found  himself  part  owner  and  captain  of  one  of  the  largest  perri- 
augers  in  the  harbor  of  New  York,  and  shortly  after  became  also 
interested  in  one  or  two  other  smaller  boats  engaged  in  the  same 
business.  In  the  meantime  he  almost  lived  on  the  water,  carrying 
freight  and  passengers,  boarding  ships,  and  doing  everything  else 
coming  within  his  line.  Not  satisfied  with  working  all  day,  he  un- 
dertook, and  continued  through  the  whole  War  of  1812,  to  furnish 
supplies  by  night  to  one  of  the  forts  up  the  Hudson,  and  another 
at  the  Narrows.  In  fact,  his  energy,  skill,  and  daring  became  so 
well  known,  and  his  word,  when  he  gave  it,  could  be  relied  npon 
so  implicitly,  that  "  Corneile,  the  boatman,"  as  he  was  fiimiliarly 
called,  was  sought  after  far  and  near,  when  any  expedition  particu- 
larly hazardous  or  important  was  to  be  undertaken.  Neither  wind, 
rain,  ice,  nor  snow,  ever  prevented  his  fulfilling  one  of  his  promises. 
At  one  time,  during  the  war  (sometime  in  September,  1813),  the 
British  fleet  had  endeavored  to  penetrate  the  port  during  a  severe 
south-easterly  storm  just  before  day,  but  were  repulsed  from  Sandy 
Hook.  After  the  cannonading  was  over,  and  the  garrison  at  Fort 
Kichmond  had  returned  to  quarters,  it  was  highly  important  that 
some  of  the  officers  should  proceed  to  head-quarters,  to  report  the 
occurrence,  and  obtain  the  necessary  reinforcements  against  another 
attack.  The  storm  was  a  fearful  one  ;  still,  the  work  must  be 
done,  and  all  felt  that  there  was  but  one  person  capable  of  under- 
taking it.  Accordingly,  Vanderbilt  was  sought  out,  and  npon 
being  asked  if  he  could  take  the  party  up,  he  replied  promptly, 
'•  Yes,  but  I  shall  have  to  carry  them  under  tonler  part  of  the 
way.'"  They  went  with  him,  and  when  they  landed  at  Coffee- 
house Slip,  there  was  not  a  dry  thread  in  the  party.  The  nest 
day  the  garrison  was  reinforced. 

Vanderbilt  also  showed  in  these  earlier  days,  what  he  has  fre- 
quently exemiilified  in  his  later  life,  that  ho  was  very  tenacious  of 

468 


CORNELIUS    VANDEBBILT. 

his  rights,  and  determined  that  no  one  should  infringe  them.  On 
one  occasion,  during  the  same  war,  while  on  his  way  to  the  city 
with  a  load  of  soldiers  from  the  forts  at  the  Narrows,  he  was  hailed 
by  a  boat  coming  out  from  the  shore,  near  the  Quarantine.  Seeing 
an  officer  on  board,  young  Vanderbilt  allowed  it  to  approach  him  ; 
but  as  it  came  nearer,  he  saw  that  it  belonged  to  one  of  his  leading 
competitors,  and  that  the  owner  himself  was  with  the  officer.  Still 
he  awaited  their  approach,  preparing  to  defend  himself  in  case  of 
any  unauthorized  interference.  No  sooner,  however,  were  they 
alongside  of  his  boat  than  the  officer  jumped  onboard,  and  ordered 
the  soldiers  ashore  with  him  in  the  other  boat,  for  inspection,  etc. 
Young  Vanderbilt,  seeing  that  the  whole  affair  was  a  trick  to  trans- 
fer his  passengers  to  his  competitor,  at  once  told  the  officer  that 
the  men  should  not  move,  that  his  order  should  not  be  obeyed. 
The  military  man,  almost  bursting  with  rage,  hastily  drew  his 
sword,  as  if  about  to  avenge  his  insulted  dignity,  when  young  Van- 
derbilt quickly  brought  him,  sword  and  all,  to  the  deck.  It  did  not 
take  him  many  minutes  more  to  rid  himself  of  the  officer  and  his 
companion  ;  and  quickly  getting  under  way  again,  his  soldiers  were 
soon  landed,  without  further  molestation,  at  tlie  Whitehall  dock. 

But  we  have  not  room  to  dwell  longer  on  these  boyish  exploits. 
They  are  important,  however,  as  they  forcibly  illustrate  the  life  and 
character  of  the  man.  The  labors  of  young  Vandi-rbilt  having  been 
rewarded  with  success,  he  now  felt  that  the  time  had  come  when 
he  might  prudently  carry  out  a  long-cherished  wish.  Having  pre- 
viously wooed  and  won  Miss  Sophia  Johnson,  of  Port  Richmond, 
Staten  Island,  they  were  married  on  the  19th  of  December,  1813. 
They  settled  temporarily  on  the  Island,  remaining  there  till  the 
fall  of  1814,  when  they  moved  to  New  York.  About  this  time 
Vanderbilt  became  the  master  and  owner  of  the  new  perriauger 
Dread,  just  launched,  then  by  far  tiie  finest  and  largest  craft  trav- 
ersing the  bay  of  New  York.  In  tiie  summer  of  181.'3,  he  built,  in 
connection  with  his  brother-in-law,  Do  Forest,  a  schooner  remark- 
ably large  for  her  day.  This  vessel  justly  elicited  the  praise  of 
others,  and  the  pride  and  satisfaction  of  its  owners.  It  was  called 
the  Charlotte,  was  commanded  by  De  Forest,  and  profitably  em- 
ployed as  a  lighter,  carrying  freights  between  numerous  home  ports. 
Thus,  up  to  the  year  1817,  with  varied  experience,  but  always  with 
success,  Vanderbilt  continued  interested  in  the  business  we  have 

indicated,  improving  the  construction  of  vessels,  and  adding  to  his 

469 


COBNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

reputation  among  nautical  men.  Seven  years  were  passed  in  this 
manner,  from  the  time  he  was  sixteen  till  some  months  after  his 
twenty-third  birthday,  laboring  incessantly.  During  the  last 
four  years,  he  had  laid  up  nine  thousand  dollars  of  his  earnings  ; 
yet  his  ambition  was  by  no  means  satisfied.  A  new  element  had 
witliin  a  few  years  been  made  subservient  to  the  purposes  of  navi- 
gation, and,  quick  to  see  the  importance  of  this  powerful  agent 
steam,  as  thus  applied,  he  determined  to  devote  himself  to  explor- 
ing and  developing  its  mysteries,  as  soon  as  an  opportunity  could 
be  obtained.  About  this  time  he  became  acquainted  with  Thomas 
Gibbons,  of  New  Jersey,  a  large  capitalist,  then  extensively  inter- 
ested in  the  transportation  of  passengers  between  New  York  and 
Philadelphia.  Very  soon  Gibbons  proposed  to  take  him  into  his 
employ,  and  oifered  him  the  position  of  captain  of  a  little  steamer, 
at  a  salary  of  one  thousand  dollars  a  year.  For  one  who  had 
always  been  his  own  master,  and  was  then  making  enough  to  lay 
up  nine  thousand  dollars  in  four  years,  such  a  position  would 
appear  to  offer  few  inducements  ;  and  if  he  had  studied  alone  liis 
present  interests,  certainly  he  would  have  declined  it  at  once.  But, 
as  we  have  already  stated,  he  was  not  acting  with  the  expectation 
of  obtaining  an  immediate  return.  He  saw  with  his  clear  head  the 
future  triumjihs  of  steam,  and  determined  to  participate  in,  if  not 
direct,  them. 

With  such  motives,  in  the  fall  of  1817,  Vanderbilt  entered  upon 
the  duties  of  captain  of  his  first  steam-boat.  This  boat  was  so  little 
that  its  owner  soon  after  changed  its  name,  re-christening  it  The 
Mouse  of  the  Mountain.  In  a  few  months  he  was  promoted,  and 
put  in  charge  of  the  Bellona,  a  much  larger  boat,  being  then  just 
completed  and  ready  for  her  trial  trip.  This  vessel  was  at  once 
employed  on  the  Philadelphia  line,  in  carrying  passengers  between 
New  York  and  New  Brunswick.  About  this  time  Vanderbilt  left 
New  York  for  Elizabethport,  and,  after  a  residence  at  that  place 
of  a  few  months,  moved  with  his  family  to  New  Brunswick,  his 
business  engagements  requiring  him  to  spend  his  nights  there.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  the  passengers  en  route  for  Philadelphia 
remained  at  New  Brunswick  over  night,  to  be  in  readiness  for  the 
early  stage  to  Trenton,  where  they  again  took  boat  for  Philadelphia. 
Mr.  Gibbons  himself  owned  the  Stage  House,  where  the  passen- 
gers then  remained  over  night,  and  of  course  the  proper  reception 
and  treatment  of  travelers  was  an  indispensable  condition  to  the 

47tf 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

prosperity  of  the  whole  route.  He,  therefore,  having  become  unfor- 
tunate in  the  management  of  his  hotel,  shortly  after  Vanclerbilt 
moved  to  New  Brunswick,  offered  it  to  his  new  cap  tarn,  free  of  rent, 
if  he  would,  in  addition  to  his  other  duties,  take  charge  of  it.  Van - 
derbilt  finally  accepted  this  proposition,  and  continued  at  the  htad 
of  the  house  during  the  remainder  of  his  business  connection  with 
Mr.  Gibbons,  conducting  it  so  successfully  that  it  proved  a  source 
of  considerable  profit.  In  1S27,  wliilc  still  in  the  employ  of  Mr 
Gibbons,  he  leased  of  him  the  New  York  and  Elizabethport  ferry 
for  seven  years,  and  ran  it  on  his  own  account.  At  the  end  of  that 
lease  it  was  renewed  for  seven  years  more.  This  enterprise  was 
managed  so  skillfully  that  it  also  brought  him  in  large  returns, 
although,  previous  to-  his  taking  the  lease,  the  working  of  the  ferry 
had  proved  unremunerative. 

In  the  meantime,  Vanderbilt  began  to  think  it  was  time  for  him 
to  act  for  himself  again.  He  had  been  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Gib- 
bons for  twelve  years,  and  during  those  years  had,  with  such  faith- 
fulness, care,  and  persevering  industry,  watched  over  the  interests 
mtrusted  to  hmi,  that  the  line  rapidly  advanced  in  prosperity  until 
then  it  was  netting  nearly  forty  thousand  dollars  a  year.  Eveiy 
new  boat  constructed  under  his  supervision  was  made  better  and 
fleeter  than  its  predecessors,  enabling  him  to  drive  away  all  oppo- 
sition ;  while  his  quick  and  active  mind  took  hold  of  every  new 
ciicumstance  arising,  making  it  subservient  to  his  purposes. 

To  understand  some  of  the  diflaculties  with  which  Vanderbilt 
was  surrounded  at  the  time  he  first  became  captain  of  the  Bellona, 
we  must  recall  the  early  history  of  steam  navigation.  It  will  be 
remembered  that,  in  1798,  an  ant  was  passed  by' the  Legislature  of 
New  York  repealing  a  previous  act,  and  transferring  to  Mr.  Living- 
ston the  exclusive  jirivilege  of  navigating  the  waters  of  the  State  by 
steam.  This  act  was  from  time  to  time  continued,  and  Fulton  was 
finally  included  in  its  provisions.  In  1807,  after  the  trial  trip  of 
the  Clermont,  the  Legislature,  by  another  act,  extended  this  privi- 
lege, and  in  the  following  year  subjected  any  vessel  propelled  by 
steam  to  forfeiture,  which  should  enter  the  waters  of  the  State 
without  the  license  of  those  grantees.  These  acts  were  in  force 
when  Vanderbilt  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Gibbons,  and  the 
Philadelphia  lino  violated  the  privilege  thus  granted,  in  case  the 
boats  stopped  at  the  city  of  New  York  ;  and  hence,  for  a  long 
time,  whenever  Vanderbilt  ran  a  steamer  in  on  the  New  York  side 


471 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

of  the  river,  as  he  was  instructed  by  the  owner  to  do,  he  was  arrest- 
ed, if  he  could  be  found.  As  an  expedient  to  avoid  arrest,  he 
taught  a  lady  how  to  steer  the  boat,  and  when  it  neared  the  New 
York  dock,  he  would  turn  it  over  to  her  charge,  and  disappear  him- 
self;  so  that  the  officers  were  frequently  compelled  to  return  their 
writs  against  him  "  non  est."  At  this  time,  it  will  also  be  remem- 
bered, the  New  York  Court  of  Errors  had  pronounced  these  acts 
constitutional,  the  New  Jersey  Legislature  had  passed  retaliatory 
acts,  and  a  suit  against  Gibbons  was  in  progress  in  the  United 
States  Court.  To  make  this  line  prosperous  under  such  difficul- 
ties, and  against  such  opposition,  was,  of  course,  no  ordinary  task. 
Still  it  was  at  once  accomplished,  as  we  have  stated.  At  length, 
in  1824,  the  Gibbons  case  was  decided,  Chief-Justice  Marshall 
delivering  the  opinion  of  the  Court,  to  the  effect  that,  under  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  no  State  could  grant  an  exclusive 
right  of  navigation,  by  steam  or  otherwise,  on  any  of  the  principal 
rivers  of  the  country  ;  and,  as  a  consequence,  navigation  on  the 
Hudson  and  elsewhere  became  Iree  to  all.  With  this  obstacle 
removed,  Vanderbilt  went  to  work  with  renewed  vigor,  steadily 
pushing  forward  his  employer's  enterprise,  until  it  produced  the 
remarkable  revenue  noted  above. 

Having  labored  i'aithfully  for  others  with  such  brilliant  results, 
he  now  felt  at  liberty  to  look  after  his  own  interests  more  exclu- 
sively, and  to  commence  business  again  on  liis  own  account.  There- 
fore, in  1829,  he  informed  Mr.  Gibbons  of  his  plan  to  leave  him. 

'•■  You  must  not,"  he  replied,  "  I  cannot  carry  on  this  line  a  day 

without  you."  He  then  offered  to  increase  his  salary  to  five 
thousand  dollars,  or  more,  if  money  vras  his  object.  But  Vander- 
bilt had  thought  well  before  he  decided  on  the  step  he  was  about 
to  take,  and  at  once  refused  the  offer.  Finally,  Gibbons  told  him 
he  could  not  run  the  line  witl  out  him,  and  that  he  might  have  the 
Philadelphia  route,  saying,  "There,  Vanderbilt,  take  all  this 
property,  and  pay  me  for  it  as  you  make  the  money."  This  tempt- 
in"-  offer  was  also  declined,  for  he  was  unwilling  to  put  hiin.'self 
under  such  an  obligation  to  any  one,  although  fully  sensible  of  the 
great  kindness  that  prompted  it.  Thus  ended  Vanderbilt's  engage- 
ment with  Mr.  Gibbous,  who  soon  after  sold  out  the  line  to  other 
parties,  finding  that  the  life  of  it  was  gone. 

Once  again  the  captain  was  now  his  own  master.  He  had  served  a 
long  time  in  a  severe  school  to  make  himself  thoroughly  acquainted 

172 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

with  the  details  and  practical  management  of  steam  navigation. 
The  next  twenty  years  of  his  life  we  must  pass  over  rapidly.  At 
once  applying  himself  to  the  work  before  him  with  the  same 
wisdom,  and  that  earnest,  steadfast  zeal  he  had  ever  shown,  success- 
ful results  followed.  During  this  period  he  built  a  very  large 
number  of  steam-boats,  and  established  steam- boat  lines  on  the  Hud- 
son, the  Sound,  and  elsewhere,  in  opposition  to  corporations  and 
companies  having  a  monopoly  of  the  trade,  and  making  travel  too 
expensive  to  be  enjoyed  by  the  many.  His  plan  was  always  to 
build  better  and  faster  boats  than  his  competitors,  to  run  them  at 
their  lowest  paying  rates,  and  thus  furnish  passengers  with  the 
best  and  cheapest  accommodations.  That  he  has  made  enemies  in 
doing  this,  we  will  admit ;  but  that  society  at  large  has  been  greatly 
benefited  thereby,  we  fearlessly  assert.  We  do  not  claim  that 
Vanderbilt  by  his  every  act  has  sought  alone  the  public  welfare— 
that  he  has  never  allowed  himself  to  be  influenced  by  self-interest 
— but  let  the  man  that  is  without  sin  in  this  respect  (if  sin  it  be) 
cast  the  first  stone.  Besides,  as  we  have  already  said,  the  great 
result  of  his  opposition  has  been  decidedly  good  to  the  country. 
Commenial  growth  presumes  rivalry,  and  there  can  be  no  healthy 
trade  without  competition.  Brand  every  man  with  opprobrious 
epithets  who  undei"takes  to  compete  with  another,  and  there  will 
be  an  end  to  all  enterprise — an  end  to  our  prosjierity  and  growth 
as  a  nation.  The  property  of  individuals  or  corporations  mtiy 
sufier  in  the  conflict,  but  the  country  at  large  does  not,  and  should 
not,  care  for  that,  so  long  as  it  is  better  served — so  long  as  the 
great  result  is  progress. 

Thus  engaged,  these  twenty  years  were  passed,  contributing 
greatly  to  tlie  rapid  growth  and  development  of  steam  navigation. 
In  the  meantime,  the  gold  of  California  had  been  discovered,  and 
the  rush  of  passengers  and  the  pushing-forward  of  merchandise  to 
that  remote  portion  of  our  country  necessitated  the  building  of  tlie 
Panama  Railroad,  and  the  establishment  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steam- 
shiji  Company  to  run  in  connection  with  it.  The  immense  travel 
over  this  route  led  Vanderbilt  to  determine  to  seek  another  transit 
route,  in  connection  with  which  he  could  put  on  a  competing  line 
between  New  York  and  California.  With  this  intention,  on  the 
12th  of  August,  1849,  he  obtained  from  the  Government  of  Nicara- 
gua a  charter  for  a  ship-canal  and  transit  company.     This  charter 

was  subsequently  amended  by  additional  stipulations  granting  to 

473 


CORNELIUS    VANDEEBILT. 

Cornelius  Vanclerbilt  and  his  associates  the  exclusive  right  to 
transport  passengers  and  merchandise  between  the  two  oceans  by 
means  of  a  railroad,  steam-boats,  or  otherwise,  and  separating  the 
transit  grant  from  the  canal  gTant.  In  1850,  Vanderbilt  built 
the  Prometheus,  and  left  in  her  on  Christmas-day  of  that  year  for 
Nicaragua.  The  party  were  three  weeks  exploring  the  region,  and 
diuing  the  whole  of  that  time  they  were  either  on  foot,  on  horse- 
back, or  in  an  open  boat,  satisfying  themselves  of  the  practicability 
of  the  route.  The  original  plan  was  to  make  Eealejo  the  Pacific 
port ;  but,  finally,  the  then  but  little-known  harbor  of  San  Juan  del 
Sur  was  fixed  upon.  Thus  having  explored  and  mapped  out  the 
transit  route  from  ocean  to  ocean,  he  at  once  went  to  work  to  put 
the  line  in  operation.  Having  built  the  little  steam-boat  Director 
to  run  up  the  San  Juan  River,  he  towed  it  all  the  way  to'  Nicara- 
gua, and  personally  superintended  the  laborious,  wearisome,  and 
difficult  task  of  taking  her  up  over  the  rapids.  This  accomplished, 
the  transit  company  was  formed,  the  route  was  opened,  and  a  semi- 
monthly lino  to  California,  via  Nicaragua,  was  established  in  July, 
1851.  We  can  scarcely  appreciate  now  the  difficulties  of  this  un- 
dertaking ;  yet  all  will  agree  that  it  required  a  man  with  a  clear 
head,  and  a  will  that  never  yields  to  obstacles,  to  plan  and  execute 
it.  Under  his  management,  also,  the  route  became  a  favorite  one, 
and  the  price  of  passage  between  New  York  and  San  Francisco 
was  permanently  reduced  from  six  hundred  to  three  hundred 
dollars.  He  constructed  very  many  first-class  steamers  for  both 
the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  sides  of  this  line,  and  it  was  continued  in 
successful  operation  until  January  1st,  1853,  when  Vanderbilt 
sold  his  steamers  on  both  sides  to  the  Transit  Company.  After 
that  he  acted  as  the  company's  agent  for  a  few  months,  and  then 
his  connection  with  it  ceased  until  January,  1856,  when  he  was 
chosen  president.  In  the  meantime,  William  Walker  had  landed 
in  Nicaragua,  and  Vanderbilt  having  taken  ground  against  his 
filibusterism,  and  refused  to  carry  his  men  and  munitions.  Walker 
issued  a  decree  on  the  18th  of  February,  1856,  annulling  all 
grants  to  the  company  and  the  acts  of  incorporation.  After  this 
there  was  a  long  series  of  plots  and  counterplots,  all  of  which 
would  be  interesting  in  a  history  of  Wall  street,  but  we  have  not 
room  for  it  here.  We  will  add,  however,  that  very  many  unsuccess- 
ful attempts  were  made  by  different  parties  to  obtain  the  right  to 
open  this  route,  until  finally,  when  every  difficulty  of  that  kind 

474 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

had  been  removed,  it  was  found  to  have  become  almost  impracti- 
cal)le — a  sand-bai-  having  formed  at  the  mouth  of  the  San  Juan 
Kiver.  "••'•■ 

About  the  time  Vanderbilt  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  Nicaragua- 
California  line  he  had  laid  the  keel  of  a  new  steam-ship,  to  be  colled 
the  Norih  Star.     She  was  built,  as  all  his  vessels  have  been,  under 
his  own  supervision,  in  a  very  complete  manner,  and  sj^lendidly 
fitted  up  with  all  that  could  tend  to  gratify  or  please.     He  had 
now  become  a  man  of  great  wealth.     From  the  little  boy  of  sixteen 
with  his  hundred-dollar  sail-boat,  he  had  gradually  but  surely  crept 
up,  accumulating  and  so  using  his  accumulations   that  now  his 
vessels  plowed  almost  every  sea,  and  his  enterprising  spirit  was  felt 
in  every  part  of  our  country.  It  has  never  been  his  plan  to  put  away 
his  money  in  a  chest,  nor  yet  to  simply  invest  it,  but  rather,  in  the 
fullest  sense  of  the  word,  to  use  it.     Consequently,  it  is  said  that 
to-day  he  employs  more  men,  directly  and  indirectly,  than  any 
other  person  in  the  land.    Having,  then,  from  so  small  a  beginning, 
worked  out  such  great  results,  he  proposed  in  May,  1853,  to  make 
the  tour  of  Europe,  with  his  family,  in  the  North  Star.     The 
undertaking  was  a  novel  one,  and  yet,  as  has  been  said,  in  some 
res2)ects  a  grand  one.     By  means  of  this  excursion  a  display  of 
American  enterprise  and  skill  was  made   which  was  of  essential 
service  to  the  country.     But  besides  that,  for  a  single  individual, 
without  rank,   without   prestige,   without   national   authority,   to 
build,  equip,  and  man  such  a  noble  specimen  of  naval  architecture, 
and  to  maiitain  it  before  all  the  courts  of  Europe  witli  dignity  and 
style,  was  an  extremely  happy  and  suggestive  illustration  to  the 
Old  World  of  what  the  energies  of  man  may  accomplish  in  this  new 
land,  where    they  are  allowed  to  have   full  play,  uncramped  by 
oppressive  social  institutions  or  absurd  social  traditions.    Cornelius 
Vanderbilt  is  a  natural,  legitimate  product  of  America.     With  us, 
all  citizens  have  full  permission  to  run  the  race  in  which  he  has 
gained  such  large  prizes,  while  in  other  countries  they  are  tram- 
meled by  a  thousand  restrictions. 

For  the  purposes,  then,  of  this  excursion,  the  North  Star  was 
built  and  furnished.  This  was  the  first  steamer  fitted  with  a  beam 
engine  that  ever  attempted  to  cross  the  Atlantic.  Many  steam- 
6hi[)  men  considered   engines  thus   built  impracticable  for  ocean 

*  Thia  route  is,  however,  uow  used,  pasaenirers  being  landed  in  small  boats 

473 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

Bteamers  ;  but  Vanderbilt,  by  his  experiments  on  this  and  many 
other  vessels,  has,  we  think,  established  the  fact  that  they  are 
eminently  suited  for  sea  purposes,  as  well  as  river  navigation.  But 
we  shall  not  attempt  any  description  of  the  capabilities  or  of  the 
beauty  and  elegance  of  this  vessel  as  it  then  was.  It  is  enough  to 
say,  it  was  perfect  in  all  departments.  Thursday,  the  19th  of  May, 
1S53,  was  the  time  fixed  for  sailing  ;  but  as  she  was  leaving  her 
berth  the  strong  current  of  the  ebb-tide  caught  her  on  the  quarter, 
and  swung  her  upon  a  reef  of  rocks  at  the  foot  of  Walnut  Street, 
The  damage  being  slight,  however,  was  soon  repaired,  and  on  the 
following  day  she  was  on  her  way  to  Southampton.  To  give  an 
account  of  this  excursion,  or  even  a  small  portion  of  what  was  seen 
or  said,  would  require  more  space  than  we  can  spare,  and,  besides, 
is  foreign  to  our  purpose.  In  almost  every  country  visited,  they 
were  received  by  all  the  authorities  with  great  cordiality,  as  well 
as  great  attention.  At  Southampton  the  North  Star  formed  the 
topic  of  conversation  in  all  circles,  and  the  party  was  honored  with 
a  splendid  banquet,  at  which  alxiut  two  hundred  persons  sat  down. 
When  in  Russia,  the  Grand  Duke  Constantine  and  the  Chief 
Admiral  of  the  Russian  Navy  visited  the  ship.  The  former  solic- 
ited and  obtained  permission  to  take  drafts  of  it,  which  duty  was 
ably  performed  by  a  cor2:)s  of  Russian  engineers.  In  Oonstantino- 
ple,  Gibraltar,  and  Malta,  the  authorities  were  also  very  cordial  and 
polite.  But  in  Leghorn  (under  the  government  of  Austria)  the 
vessel  was  subjected  to  constant  surveillance,  guard-boats  patrolling 
about  her  day  and  night — the  authorities  not  teing  able  to  believe 
that  the  expedition  was  one  of  pleasure,  Ijut  imagining  that  the 
steamer  was  loaded  with  munitions  and  arms  for  insurrectionary 
purposes.  After  a  very  charming  and  delightful  excursion  of  four 
months,  they  returned  home,  reaching  New  York  September  23d, 
1853 — having  sailed  a  distance  of  fifteen  thousand  miles  This 
certainly  was  an  expedition  worthy  and  characteristic  of  the  man 
who  undertook  it,  and  met  ynih.  that  decided  success  which  hia 
efforts  ever  seemed  to  insure. 

This  visit  of  Commodore  Vanderbilt  to  Europe  satisfied  him 
that  the  interests  of  our  growing  commerce  required  that  the  tkcili- 
ties  of  communication  between  Europe  and  America  should  be 
increased.  Consequently,  soon  after  his  return,  he  made  an  offer 
to  the  Postmaster-General  to  run  a  semi-monthly  line  to  England, 
alternating  with  the  Collins  line,  carrying  the  mails  on  the  voyage 

•!7G 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

ouUnJ  home  for  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  the  Cnnard  line  was  at  that  time  withdrawn  from  the  mail 
service  on  account  of  the  Crimean  War,  and  his  plan,  therefore,  was 
to  provide  for  weekly  departures,  filling  up  those  thus  left  vacant 
This  proposition,  however,  was  not  accepted;  nevertheless,  not 
willing  to  abandon  the  idea,  on  the  21st  of  April,  1855,  he  estab- 
lished an  independent  line  betweei.  New  York  and  Havre.  For 
this  purpose  he  built  several  new  steam-ships,  and  among  them  the 
Ariel,  and  finally  the  VanderbiU,  and  the  line  was  kept  up  with 
great  spirit,  and  very  successfully.  Subsequent  to  the  building 
of  the  VanderbiU,  there  was  an  exciting-  contest  of  speed  between 
the  boats  of  the  different  lines.  The  Arabia  and  Persia,  of  the 
Cunard,  the  Baltic  and  Atlantic,  of  the  Collins,  and  the  Vander- 
biU, of  the  Independent  line,  were  the  competitors.  Great  interest 
was  taken  in  the  contest,  as  all  will  remember  ;  but  the  VanderbiU 
came  out  victorious,  making  the  shortest  time  ever  made  by  any 
European  or  American  steamer  up  to  that  time. 

The  subsequent  history  of  this  vessel  is  well  known.  In  the 
spring  of  1862,  when  the  Administration  needed,  immediately, 
large  additions  to  its  navy,  to  aid  in  carrying  on  its  military  oper- 
ations (an  occasion  which  many  were  too  eager  to  turn  to  their 
own  advantage,  at  their  country's  expense),  Commodore  Vander- 
biU illustrated  the  nature  of  his  whole-souled  patriotism  by 
making  a  free  gift  of  this  splendid  ship  to  the  Government.  The 
following  resolution  of  thanks,  passed  by  Congress,  and  approved 
by  the  President,  January  28th,  1864,  is  a  fitting  though  late 
acknowledgment  of  his  magnificent  gift : 

Whereas,  Cornelius  VanderbOt,  of  New  York,  did,  during  tlie  spring  of  ei<rh 
teen  hundred  and  sixty-two,  malie  a  free  gift  to  liis  imperiled  country  of  his'new 
and  standi  steamsliip  VanderbiU.  of  uvo  thousand  tons  burden,  built  by  kim  with 
the  greatest  care,  of  the  best  material,  at  a  cost  of  eight  hundred  thousand  dollars 
which  steam-ship  has  ever  since  been  actively  employed  in  the  service  of  the 
republic  against  the  rebel  devastations  of  her  commerce;  and  whereas  the  said 
Cornelius  Vauderbilt  has  in  no  manner  sought  any  requital  of  this  magnificent 
gift,  nor  any  official  recognition  thereof ;  tlierefore, 

Resohed  hy  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of  Amer. 
ica  m  Congress  assembled.  That  the  thanks  of  Congress  be  presented  to  Cornelius 
VanderbiU  for  his  unique  manifestation  of  a  fervid  and  larged-souled  patriotism 

Sec.  2.  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be  requested  to  cause 
a  gold  medal  to  be  struck,  which  shall  fitly  embody  an  attestation  of  the 
nations  gratitude  for  this  gift ;  whicli  medal  shall  be  forwarded  to  Cornelius  Vau- 
derbilt—a  copy  of  it  being  made  and  deposited  for  preservation  in  the  library  of 
Congress. 

477 


CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT. 

How  appropriate  it  seems  that  the  man  who  has  spent  his  life 
in  developing  the  commerce  of  the  country  should  give  this  his 
best  effort  for  the  defense  of  that  commerce  ! 

But  time  would  fail  us  were  we  to  attempt  to  speak  of  all  the 
prominent  acts,  and  varied  interests  in  steam-hoats  and  steam- 
ships, of  Commodore  Vanderbilt  during  his  life,  or  even  for  the 
last  few  years — nor  is  it  necessary.  Wherever  a  line  could  be 
established  profitably  he  has  always  been  ready  to  undertake  it. 
He  has  built  and  owned  exclusively  himself  upwards  of  one  hun- 
dred steam-boats  and  steam-shijis,  and  has  never  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  loose  one  of  them  by  any  accident.  He  has  extensive 
machine-shops,  where  he  makes  his  own  machinery,  according  to 
his  own  ideas,  and  his  vessels  have  been  generally  built  by  day- 
work,  under  his  constant  supervision,  and  from  plans  entirely  his 
own. 

His  time  and  money  have  not,  however,  been  alone  employed 
in  developing  the  steain-ship  interest.  Railroads  and  all  other 
commercial  enterprises  have  received  a  large  share  of  his  atten- 
tion. In  fact,  wherever  his  money  would  do  the  most  work,  there 
he  has  over  placed  it ;  thus  greatly  extending  and  invigorating 
every  commercial  interest.  Of  late  years,  however,  he  has  been 
gradually  retiring  from  the  shipping  business,  and  has  sold  his  last 
steam-ship,  transferring  a  much  greater  proportion  of  his  wealth  to 
railroads,  until  now  he  is  the  largest  railroad  proprietor  in  the 
United  States.  The  steam-boat  king  is  thus  turned  into  a  rail- 
road king,  as  Wall  street  well  understands.  His  property  has  in  the 
meantime  accumulated  rapidly  ;  there  are  few,  if  any,  wealthiei 
men  in  this  country,  and  all  of  this  vast  wealth  is  the  product  of 
his* own  labor. 

Were  we  asked  the  secret  of  this  success,  we  could  answer  it  no 
better  than  by  pointing  to  the  history  of  his  early  life,  which  we 
have  already  given.  As  a  boy,  we  have  found  him  an,indefatigable 
worker,  ever  exhibiting  remarkable  judgment,  inflexible  will,  and 
untiring  perseverance  ;  full  of  enterprise,  self-dependent,  and  self- 
reliant.  The  prize,  therefore,  was  clearly  his  from  the  beginning. 
George  Stevenson  woulcl  never  allow  that  he  possessed  any  faculty 
pre-eminently,  except  perseverance.  We  cannot  agree  with  him 
in  this  estimate  of  himself,  and  yet  admit  that  the  man  who  is 
never  discouraged,  even  though  the  prospect  be  dark  and  gloomy, 
possesses   one  great   requisite   for  success,   and  has  an    immense 


CORNELIUS      TANDEKBILT. 

advantage  over  his  timid  neighbors.  But  still,  one  may  walk  forever 
on  the  wrong  road  and  not  reach  the  desired  haven ;  the  power  to 
judge  coiTectly  is,  therefore,  as  necessary  as  perseverance.  In  this 
particular,  Commodore  Vanderbilt  has  ever  excelled.  He  appears 
to  possess  an  intuitive  judgment  of  men  and  things.  Consequently, 
all  his  plans  are  first  carefully  considered ;  eveiy  possible  contin- 
gency provided  against :  so  that  when  he  executes  them,  he  striljes 
with  a  strong  arm,  because  a  confident  one.  We  see  this  illus- 
ti-ated  in  the  first  efforts  of  the  boy,  and  in  every  conflict  and  under- 
taking of  the  man.  With,  then,  such  judgment,  and  with  the 
energy  and  perseverance  he  has  ever  exhibited,  unusual  success 
wag  the  natural  result 

The  foregoing,  condensed  from  Hunts  Merchants'  Magazine,  of 
January,  1865,  bi-ings  the  sketch  down  to  that  period.  In  continua- 
tion, we  have  now  come,  in  our  division  of  the  subject,  to  the  third 
and  present  era  in  Commodore  Vanderbilt's  life.  We  have  followed 
him  from  his  first  start  as  skipper  of  a  perriauger ;  noted  his  pro- 
phetic faith  in  the  new  element  which  Fulton  had  evolved,  and  his 
vast  success  in  steam-ship  building  and  navigation,  and  we  have  now 
to  consider  him  as  the  Eailroad  Emperor  of  America.  What  he  was 
among  navigators  he  is  now  among  railroad  men  ; — ever  in  the  van ; — - 
bold  in  his  conceptions  and  audacious  in  carrying  them  out  ;^deterred 
by  no  obstacles  and  recognizing  no  impossibilities,  through  all  and 
in  all  his  enterj^rises,  guided  by  a  sagacity  which  is  almost  unerring. 
As  this  radical  change  in  his  business  was  gradual,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  go  back  some  years  in  his  history ;  and  in  order  to  make  a 
more  lucid  naiTative,  we  will  briefly  state  certain  events  which  took 
place  anterior  thereto. 

The  Kew  York  &  Harlem  Eailroad  was  the  first  road  built  in,  or 
running  from,  the  City  of  New  York.  It  was  built  from  the  city  to 
the  Harlem  river  in  1832-3.  In  1840,  a  charter  was  granted  the  Com- 
pany by  the  Legislature,  to  extend  the  road  through  Westchester 
County;  and  in  1815,  the  further  power  was  given  to  build  it  to  a 
point  on  the  Hudson  river  opposite  Albany,  or  to  connect  it  with 
some  other  road  terminating  at  that  place.  Under  this  latter  clause, 
it  was  constructed  to  Chatham  Four  Corners,  there  connecting  with 
the  Albany  and  Boston  Road.  Although  running  through  a  country 
which  should  have  made  it  a  success,  there  always  seemed  a  cloud 
over  its  fortunes,  and  the  whole  concern  became  dilapidated  and 

479 


CORNELIUS      VANDERBILT. 

almost  worthless.  Bad  management  was  doing  what  it  has  since 
done  for  hundreds  of  other  enterprises. 

In  1852,  the  Company  was  well-nigh  on  its  last  legs;  bankruptcy 
was  considered  almost  inevitable ;  the  trustees  made  a  desperate 
effort,  and  offered  great  inducements  to  capitalists  for  loans.  But 
moneyed  men  were  very  shy  of  such  a  corporation. 

Commodore  Vanderbilt,  at  this  time,  happened  to  have  a  little 
ready  money  on  hand  lying  idle.  What  was  better,  he  realized  what 
must  be  the  future  of  the  railroad  system  of  the  country,  and  he  in- 
vested one  or  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  the  bonds  of  the  Com- 
pany. The  management  of  the  road,  meanwhile,  did  not  improve. 
It  rather  retrograded.  In  1847,  Gen.  Chas.  W.  Sanford,  who  had 
been  for  many  years  counsel  to  the  Company,  viewing  with  alarm 
the  deplorable  condition  of  its  affairs,  souglit  an  interview  with  the 
Commodore,  and  urged  him  to  become  a  Director,  and  give  the  road 
tlie  benefit  of  his  great  executive  ability.  Vanderbilt  shook  his 
head,  and  was  with  difficulty  persuaded  to  entertain  the  proposition. 
Finally,  he  consented,  provided  Daniel  Drew  would  go  with  him. 
This  Drew  consented  to,  and  a  ticket  was  arranged  with  Vanderbilt 
and  Drew  at  the  head.  Allen  Campbell,  who  had  built  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  road,  was  sent  for  from  Alabama  and  his  name  added.  Gen. 
Sanford  collected  enougb  proxies,  and  the  ticket  was  elected,  and 
Campbell  chosen  president.  The  road  was  then  thoroughly  over- 
hauled and  put  in  good  repair.  Commodore  Vanderbilt  entered  with 
zeal  upon  the  enterprise,  and  advanced,  from  time  to  time,  large 
sums  for  the  use  of  the  Company.  In  18(33  he  was  unanimously 
chosen  President  of  the  Company,  and,  having  at  this  time  almost 
entirely  withdrawn  from  maritime  pursuits  he  gave  his  undivided  atten- 
tion to  railroad  matters.  It  is  worthy  of  note,  that  the  stock  of  the 
Company,  which  in  1857  was  worth  about  three  cents  on  the  dollar, 
soon  after  he  became  President,  rose  to  seventy. 

In  1864,  an  event  took  place  which  showed  Vanderbilt  as  a  man 
not  easily  trifled  with,  and  taught  a  lesson  to  snndry  amateur  fman- 
ciers,  which  they  have  not  yet  forgotten.  A  bill  was  introduced  be- 
fore the  Legislature  of  that  year,  empowering  the  Harlem  Railroad 
Company  to  lay  a  railroad  track  through  Broadway  to  the  Battery. 
The  lobby,  always  potent,  unfortunately,  in  Legislative  matters,  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  setting  a  trap  for  the  Commodore,  by  which  they 
could  make  a  nice  little  speculation  themselves.     In  furtherance  of 

their  schemes,  sundi-y  members  of  the  Legislature  were  enlisted,  and 

480 


CORNELIUS      VANDERBILT. 

the  project  developed.  It  was  this:  Under  the  pi-obabilities  of  the 
passage  of  a  Broadway  bill,  Harlem  stock  had  advanced  nearly  to  par. 
The  schemers  proposed  to  form  a  "  ring,"  with  sufficient  strength  to 
defeat  the  bill,  and  in  the  meantime  "sell  short  "  on  Harlem  stock  in 
Wall  street ;  that  is,  sell  the  stock  at  the  market  rate,  to  be  delivered 
at  a  future  day.  Of  course,  when  the  bill  should  be  defeated,  the 
stock  would  fall,  and  as  much  as  it  fell,  so  much  would  be  the  mea- 
sure of  profit  The  bill  failed  to  become  a  law ;  but  the  stock  in- 
stead of  declining  in  price,  kept  steadily  advancing.  Consternation 
now  seized  the  ring,  and  they  found  to  their  dismay,  when  they 
sought  to  purchase  stock  to  carry  out  their  sales,  that  Vanderbilt  and 
his  friends  held  the  entire  amount,  and  not  a  share  could  be  obtained. 
The  nominal  price  went  up  to  near  300,  and  the  victims  got  out  of  it 
as  best  they  could  ;  but  there  are  many  to-day  who  were  rich  men 
then,  but  have  never  recovered  from  that  little  game. 

For  many  years  previous  to  this  date,  Vanderbilt  had  seen  clearly 
that  the  competition  between  the  Harlem  and  Hudson  Eiver  roads 
was  very  prejudicial  to  both  companies.  He,  therefore,  quietly 
bought  up  a  controlling  interest  in  the  latter  road,  and  in  1865  was 
elected  President  of  the  Company,  still  holding  the  &ime  office  in  the 
Harlem. 

The  N.  Y.  Central  Railroad  was  then  controlled  by  Dean  Richmond, 
and  a  good  deal  of  antagonism  had  been  fostered  along  the  line  of 
the  road  against  Vanderbilt,  who  was  represented  to  be  something 
like  an  anaconda,  swallowing  his  way  over  the  countr3\ 

Mr.  Richmond  and  his  fi-iends  in  Albany — Erastus  Corning,  John 

V.  L.  Pruyn,  and  others — were  largely  interested  in  steamboats  on  the 

Hudson  river,  and  the  entire  influence  of  the  Central  Road  was  wielded, 

so  as  to  induce  shippers  of  freight  to  send  it  from  Albany  to  New 

York  by  boat  during  navigation.     They  also  ran  trains  to  connect 

with  the  night  boats  and  miss  the  Hudson   River  Railroad    trains. 

While  the  river  was  closed  with  ice,  they  would  ship  by  the  railroad  ; 

but  when  the  river  opened,  the  road  got  little  chance  for  freightage. 

The  Hudson  River  and  Harlem  Railroad  Companies  remonstrated ; 

but  it  was  all  in  vain.     They  protested ;  but  it  was  useless;    They  of 

fered  all  sorts  of  compromises ;  but  they  were  rejected.     In  the  winter 

of  1865,  matters  came  to  a  focus.    Vanderbilt  had  submitted  until  his 

Dutch  blood  was  up.     In  the  deud  of  winter,  one  cold  January  day, 

the  trains  from  New  York  stopped  some  half  a  mile  or  over  fi-ora 

the  ferry  at  Albany,  and  passengers  were  obliged  to  walk  a  long  dis 

•iSi 


COBNELIUS      VANDERBILT. 

lance.  The  Legislature  was  in  session,  and  some  of  the  members  had 
to  walk  in  the  snow.  This  was  a  wrong  they  could  appreciate,  and 
spoke  more  directly  to  them  than  half  a  million  petitions  or  remon 
strances.  A  Committee  of  Investigation  was  fomied,  and  Commo- 
dore Vanuerbilt  and  the  officers  of  the  Hudson  Eiver  Bail  road  were 
summoned  before  it.  Now  nothing  had  been  said  by  the  Commodore, 
and  he  produced  an  old  law  by  which  it  seemed  that  they  had  no 
right  to  run  to  the  river.  But  everybody  understood  that  the  point 
was  to  bring  the  Central  to  terms,  on  some  definite  and  lasting  basis, 
which  should  hold  good  in  summer  as  well  as  winter.  A  tremendous 
amount  of  verbal  ammunition  was  expended,  but  the  Commodore 
had  the  best  of  it,  and  so  they  soon  discovered. 

•  "  Did  you  not  know,  sir,"  asked  one  of  the  Investigating  Com- 
mittee of  the  Commodore,  "  that  you  were  seriously  interfering  with 
the  traveling  public?" 

"  I  was  in  New  York,"  quietly  replied  the  Commodore,  "  and 
was  only  informed  of  what  had  been  done  afterwards." 

"  "What  did  you  do  when  you  heard  of  it?"  was  asked. 

"I  did  not  do  anything,"  replied  Mr.  Vanderbilt;  "I  was 
playing  whist  at  the  time,  and  I  never  allow  anything  to  interrupt 
me  when  I  am  playing  whist !" 

Tlie  result  of  this  audacious  move  on  the  part  of  the  Hudson 
River  Railroad,  was  an  equitable  and  just  compromise  by  which  that 
road  received  its  proportion  of  New  York  freight. 

Dean  Richmond  did  not  live  long  enough  to  see  his  "  anaconda  " 
fears  realized ;  but  before  he  died.  Commodore  Vanderbilt  had  done 
much  toward  carrying  out  what  he  deemed  an  absolute  necessity  ^ 
namely,  the  union  ia  interest  of  the  entire  line  of  roads  from  New 
York  to  Buffalo.  He  saw,  then,  very  clearly,  what  has  since  be- 
come unquestioned,  that  the  longer  the  line  of  railroad,  which  is  con- 
ducted under  one  management,  and  without  change  of  cars,  the  better 
it  is  for  the  traveling  public  and  shippers :  and,  provided  the  man. 
agement  is  judicious,  the  better  it  is  for  the  stockholders  also.  The 
difficulty  with  the  Central  Road,  just  mentioned,  showed  the  ex- 
treme danger  to  the  Hudson  River  Road,  which  a  hostile  manage- 
ment of  the  former  Company  might  produce.  Before  a  great  while, 
therefore.  Commodore  Vanderbilt  obtained  a  controlling  interest  in 
the  Central  Company,  and  in  1868  was  elected  its  President. 

When  Mr.  Vanderbilt  assumed  control  of  the  Harlem  Railroad, 
he  at  once  proceeded  to  place  the  entire  road  in  the  most  thorough 

482 


COENELIUS      VANDERBILT. 

lepair.  In  the  first  two  years  he  advanced  the  Company  two  millions 
of  dollars.  "  He  burned  up  its  old  cars ;  sold  its  old  locomotives  : 
threw  out  its  old  ties ;  repaii-ed  its  road-bed ;  put  in  new  cars,  new 
ties,  new  locomotives,  and  made  it,  what  it  is  to-day,  one  of  the 
safest,  one  of  the  best  regulated,  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  stocked 
roads  that  there  is  in  the  State  of  New  York."  And  in  spite  of  these 
vast  outlays,  to  receive  an  almost  bankrupt  enterprise,  the  Road  al- 
most immediately  began  to  declare  dividends. 

We  dwell  with  some  emphasis  upon  these  facts,  because  they 
illustrate  most  aptly  Commodore  Vanderbilt's  strongest  traits  of 
character.  He  believed  that  a  Eailroad  must  pay,  if  well  equipped 
and  well  conducted ;  and  a  more  promising  subject  for  experiment 
could  not  have  been  found. 

The  Hudson  River  Railroad  was  next  overhauled,  and  also  put 
in  first  class  order.  New  depots  were  erected  along  the  entire  line. 
Its  double  track  completed ;  the  nimiber  of  trains  increased,  and  the 
running  time  shortened.  Being  much  shorter  than  the  Harlem 
Road,  the  through  express  trains  were  withdrawn  from  the  latter  and 
run  on  the  Hudson  River  road.  The  business  of  the  latter  road  was 
by  these  means  increased  enormously ;  and,  in  order  to  accomodate 
the  down  town  freight  business  in  New  York  City,  St.  John's  Park, 
in  Hudson  Street,  was  purchased  by  the  Commodore  at  a  cost  of  a 
million  dollars,  and  a  spacious  freight  depot,  covering  the  entire 
square,  was  erected.  It  is  on  the  western  gable  of  this  imposing  edi- 
fice, that  Captain  De  Groot's  famous  bronze  ba.s  relief,  emblematical 
of  the  Commodore's  career,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $250,000. 

In  November,  1869,  the  Central  and  Hudson  River  Railroads 
were  consolidated  into  one  Company,  called  the  N.  Y  Central  and 
Hudson  River  Railroad— of  which  Commodore  Vanderbilt  is  Presi- 
dent With  the  same  wise  forethought,  the  entire  Hne  of  the  Cen- 
tral was  put  in  order,  as  had  been  the  Commodore's  other  roads ; 
and  a  few  figures  which  we  are  enabled  to  present,  will  furnish  the 
best  commentary  upon  the  Commodore's  system. 

When  he  was  elected  President  of  the  Hudson  River  Railroad,  in 
1865,  the  capital  of  the  Company  was  $7,000,000.  The  Central  Road 
when  he  became  President  in  1868,  had  a  capital  of  $28,000,000. 
On  this  amount  it  had  been  nominally  paying  a  dividend  of  six  per 
cent;  but  very  little  outlay  was  made  upon  the  road,  and  it  has  even 
been  said  that  the  money  to  pay  the  dividends  was  borirowed.  Un- 
der Commodore  Vanderbilt's  management,  the  New  York  Central 

483 


0OBNELIU8      VANDERBILT. 

Kailroad  Company  paid  a  dividend  of  8  per  cent,  on  its  capital  stock, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  a  goodly  surpl\is  was  left  in  the  Treasury. 
Since  the  consolidation  of  the  Central  and  Hudson  River  Companies, 
regular  dividends  of  8  per  cent  have  been  paid  upon  its  capital  of 
$90,000,000.  In  addition  to  this,  immense  sums  were  expended  in 
refitting  the  road.  In  less  than  a  year  from  this  time,  the  whole 
road,  single  and  double  track  fi-om  New  York  to  Buffalo,  will  be 
laid  with  steel  rails ;  and  all  this  and  the  other  improvements  have 
been  made  out  of  the  surjolus  earnings  of  the  Company. 

"Within  a  few  months  a  new  road  or  side  cut,  has  been  built 
along  Spuyten  Duyvil  creek  and  tlie  Harlem  river,  by  which  the 
Hudson  River  and  Central  trains  are  brought  down  Fourth  Avenue 
to  the  Grand  Central  Depot  at  42d  street.  This  magnificent  struc- 
ture is  another  conception  of  the  Commodore's,  it  is  one  of  the 
finest  buildings  of  the  kind  ever  erected,  and  contains  within  its  am- 
ple area,  besides  about  a  mile  of  tracks,  spacious  of&ces  for  the  Hud- 
son River  Railroad  Company,  the  Harlem  Railroad  Company,  and 
also  the  New  York  and  New  Haven  Railroad  Company. 

There  are  few  of  our  public  men  the  history  of  whose  career  is 
worth  so  much  for  an  example  to  the  young  as  that  of  Cornelius 
Vanderbilt.  His  success  has  been  steady,  and  what  is  better,  per- 
fectly systematic.  Before  embarking  in  a  new  undertaking,  he  care- 
fully surveys  the  ground,  and  knows  just  what  is  to  be  done  when 
the  time  comes  for  action.  He  never  leaves  anything  to  chance. 
That  enthusiastic  energy  and  impulsiveness  which  the  French  call 
by  the  untranslatable  word  elan,  he  has  in  abundance.  The  incident 
we  have  related  in  his  early  life,  of  his  being  awarded  the  contract 
for  transportation  of  supplies  over  lower  bidders,  because  he  could  be 
relied  on  to  perform  his  agreement,  sounds  the  key-note  of  his  whole 
business  success.  Perfect  reliability  presupposes  all  the  other  manly 
qualities  above  enumerated. 

In  his  domestic  life,  Commodore  Vanderbilt  has  been  equally  as 
fortunate  as  in  his  business  enterprises.  The  partner  of  his  youthful 
struggles  lived  to  share  for  more  than  half  a  centuiy,  his  increasing 
prosperity,  and  became  the  mother  of  thirteen  children — nine  daugh- 
ters and  four  sons,  most  of  whom  are  still  living.  A  few  years  ago 
she  died,  sincerely  mourned  by  her  husband  and  children ;  leaving 
behind  her  an  exalted  character  for  the  purest  Christian  virtues. 

William  H.  Vanderbilt,  the  Commodore's  eldest  son,  is  the  apple 
of  his  father's  eye.      He  is  a  man  after  the  Commodore's  own  heart, 

484 


CORNELIUS      VANDERBILT. 

and  more  than  that,  he  is  one  after  his  own  mould.  "  Billy,"  as  the 
Commodore  affectionately  styles  him,  is  over  fifty  years  old,  and 
himself  a  grandfather.  He  is  one  of  the  most  capable  business  men 
in  the  country,  and  in  every  way  worthy  to  succeed  to  his  father's 
place. 

Of  the  Commodore's  daughters,  one  is  the  wife  of  Hon.  Augustus 
Schell,  the  well-known  veteran  politician.  Another  married  Horace 
F.  Clark,  the  distinguished  lawyer,  and  counsel  to  the  New  York 
Central  and  Hudson  Eiver  Railroad  Company.  Another  is  the  wife 
of  Hon.  Nich.  B.  La  Bau,  who  represented  the  first  Senatorial  Dis- 
trict of  the  State  at  Albany,  a  few  years  since. 

To  a  man  of  the  Commodore's  social  nature  aixd  warm  heart,  the 
loneliness  of  a  widower's  home,  with  his  children  all  married  and 
away,  was  oppressive  in  the  extreme.  His  friends  were  not  much 
surprised,  therefore,  when  they  learned  some  time  after  his  wife's 
death,  that  he  proposed  again  venturing  on  the  matrimonial  sea. 
But,  as  we  said  before,  the  Commodore  never  ventures.  In  matri- 
mony as  in  business,  he  exercises  the  soundest  discretion.  The  lady 
who  now  so  gracefully  presides  over  his  establishment,  is  another 
evidence  of  his  good  judgment.  She  was  a  Miss  Crawford,  of 
Mobile,  and  is  as  fine  a  specimen  of  a  high-toned,  thoroughbred 
American  lady  as  the  Commodore  is  the  heau  ideal  of  a  vigorous, 
energetic  and  honorable  American  gentleman. 

485 


%. 


li/L^^ 


BBIG-GEKriT::  HENBY  WABKEN- 


FITZ   HENRY   WARREN. 


-  ENERAL  FITZ  HENRY  WARREN,  of  Iowa,  was 
born  in  Brimiield,  Hampden  County,  Mass.,  on  the 
(^^''  lltli  of  January,  1816.  He  was  educated  to  mercan- 
ll^Q  tile  pursuits,  entered  a  mercantile  house  as  salesman,  and 
subsequently,  in  connection  with  his  father,  became  an 
exteusive  manufacturer  of  boots  and  shoes  in  Chicopee,  now 
embraced  within  the  limits  of  Springfield,  Mass. 
In  1844  General  Warren  emigrated  to  Iowa,  and  located  in  Bur- 
lington. Here  he  engaged  in  business,  at  the  same  time  taking  an 
active  part  in  politics,  until  the  spring  of  1849,  when  he  was  appointed 
by  President  Taylor,  Assistant  Postmaster-General.  In  this  high  po- 
sition he  displayed  such  superior  judgment  and  business  tact  in  all 
matters  connected  with  the  postal  department  as  to  command  general 
commendation.  Resigning  the  oflSce  in  1852,  on  account  of  his  dis- 
approbation of  the  act  of  Mr.  Fillmore  in  signing  the  new  edition  of 
the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  he  took  charge  of  the  National  Whig  Com- 
mittee during  the  Scott  Presidential  Campaign. 

He  returned  to  Iowa  in  1853,  and  engaged  in  banking.  Fully 
alive  to  the  various  political  issues  of  succeeding  years,  culminating 
in  the  great  conflict  of  1861,  he  was  a  zealous  worker  and  efficient 
speaker  in  every  Presidential  and  State  canvass.  He  was  particularly 
active  in  the  campaign  of  1860 ;  and  after  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
stood  prominent  among  those  whose  names  were  mentioned  for  the 
position  of  Postmaster-General.  It  is  said  that  his  former  position  in 
the  Post  Office  Department  was  tendered  and  declined. 

In  1861  he  was  made  an  assistant  editor  of  the  New  York  Tribune, 
at  the  head  of  the  staff  at  Washington,  and  was  the  author  of  the 
famous  "  On  to  Richmond  "  correspondence.  Resigning  in  August, 
he  took  command  of  the  First  Iowa  Cavalry,  one  of  the  first  volun- 
teer cavaliy  regiments  mustered  into  the  United  States  service,  and 

487 


FITZ     HE  NET    'WARBEN. 

served  one  year,  when  be  was  promoted,  on  the  20th  day  of  August, 
1862,  to  Brigadier-General.  He  was  also  made  Brevet  Major-Gen eral. 
During  the  winter  of  1862-3  he  held  a  command  under  General 
Curtis,  in  Missouri. 

In  the  summer  of  1863  General  Warren's  name  was  brought 
prominently  forward  in  the  Union  Convention  for  the  office  of  Gov- 
ernor of  Iowa,  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  was  sent  to  New  Or- 
leans, whence  he  was  ordered  to  Matagorda  Island,  and  assigned  to  a 
brigade  command.  Soon  after  this  he  succeeded  General  Washburne 
in  command  of  the  First  Division  13th  Army  Corps,  which  was  sta- 
tioned near  Indianola,  Texas.  In  June,  1864,  lie  was  given  a  District 
Command  in  Louisiana,  with  headquarters  at  Baton  Eouge.  In  the 
following  summer,  his  health  having  failed,  he  was  relieved  from 
command,  and  finally,  in  consideration  of  this  fact,  was  placed  on 
duty  in  New  York  City,  where  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

General  "Warren  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Iowa  Senate  in  1866, 
and  served  one  session.  He  was  appointed  Minister  to  Gautemala 
in  August,  1866,  but  did  not  accept  until  re-appointed  some  time 
afterwards.  He  remained  in  Gautemala  until  January,  1869,  when 
he  resigned,  but  was  not  relieved  until  the  following  August.  He 
returned  to  Iowa  the  same  year. 

He  joined  the  Liberal  movement  at  Cincinnati  in  1872,  and  was 
at  the  head  of  the  electoral  ticket  in  Iowa. 

In  a  History  of  Iowa  Kegiments  during  the  war,  we  find  the 
following  tribute  to  his  worth:  "General  Warren's  native  talent  is 
great  and  versatile,  and  enables  him  to  attain  eminence  in  any  pub- 
lic position ;  indeed  he  has  never  failed,  as  a  public  man,  to  acquit 
himself  with  credit.  As  a  public  speaker  he  is  polished,  eloquent 
and  forcible.  Iowa  has  many  more  popular  men  than  he,  but  few 
more  able.  His  great  independence  of  character,  and  the  bitterness 
with  which  he  has  been  accustomed  to  treat  his  opponents,  has  been 
an  impediment  to  his  popularity.  He  is  graceful  and  dignified  in 
his  manner,  is  a  rapid,  though  not  a  garrulous  talker,  and  has  a  voice 
of  wonderful  capacity.  To  show  its  power,  it  may  be  stated  that  in 
drilling  a  brigade  of  troops  he  was  accustomed  to  give  all  commands 
viva  voce,  dispensing  with  aids  and  orderlies." 

488 


JOSEPH  PAURISII,  M.D. 


"^'-^^^'OCTOR  JOSEPH  PARRISH,  the  present  eminent 
.''Iff  Sui^erintendent  of  tlie  Mai-ykind  Inebriate  Asylum,  is  the 
j^  son  of  tlie  late  Dr.  Joseph  Parrish,  of  Philadelphia,  Penn- 
^  sylvania,  and  was  born  in  that  city,  November  11th,  1818. 
Throughout  his  adult  life,  he  has  devoted  himself  to  the 
cause  of  unfortunates  of  different  classes ;  and  no  other  per- 
son has  probably  contributed  in  a  g)-eater  degree  than  himself  to  the 
amelioration  of  their  condition,  and  the  development  of  advanced 
measures  of  reform,  which  the  necessities  of  the  times  have  rendered 
imperative,  although  in  many  instances  tlie  public  mind  has  not 
at  once  been  able  to  comprehend  them.  With  a  sympathetic  dis- 
position, advanced  ideas,  a  strong  logical  mind,  and  wielding  a 
ready  pen,  he  has  devoted  himself  for  several  years  past  to  the  study 
of  inebriety  as  a  disease,  with  its  attendant  causes,  treatment  and 
probable  effects  upon  society.  So  urgently  has  the  Doctor  advanced 
his  favorite  theojy  upon  this  subject,  and  so  ably  has  he  argued  it  in 
medical  treatises,  that  there  seems  to  have  been  a  general  awak- 
ening upon  the  subject,  and  the  disease-theory  has  been  very  gener- 
ally adopted  by  eminent  practitioners,  both  in  this  countiy  and  in 
Europe. 

He  received  a  liberal  education  for  the  times,  after  which,  his 
tastes  inclining  him  to  the  medical  ]n'ofession,  he  entered  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  graduated  with  distinction  in  1844. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lydia  Gaskill,  the  daughter  of  a 
prominent  and  highly  respected  citizen  of  Burlington,  New  Jersey, 
and  immediately  after  graduating,  the  young  Doctor  located  himself  in 
Burlington,  and  succeeded  to  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  in  a  short 
time,  being  also  appointed  as  physician  to  Burlington  College,  and 
St.  Mary's  Hall,  in  the  fourth  year  of  his  ^professional  life. 

At  this  time  he  inaugurated  the  New  Jersey  Medical  Eeporter,  and 
became  its  sole  editor  and  proprietor.  The  Reporter  was  so  ably 
conducted,  that  it  attracted  the  attention  of  the  medical  fraternitv 
throughout  the  country,  and  the  New  Jersey  Medical  Society,  realizing 
its  worth,  recognized  it  as  their  organ,  and  made  an  annual  appro- 

489 


JOSEPH    PABRISH,    M.  D. 

priation  for  its  support.  This  journal  is  still  in  existence,  although 
removed  to  Philadelphia,  where  it  is  under  the  control  of  Dr.  S.  W. 
Butler,  who  had  been  Dr.  Parrish's  office  assistant  and  subsequent 
co-editor. 

During  the  Doctor's  residence  in  Burlington,  he  was  waited  upon 
by  a  committee  of  the  Faculty  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Medi- 
cine, and  requested  to  accept  the  Chair  of  Obstetrics  and  Diseases  of 
Women  and  Children.  This  proposition  he  at  first  declined,  but 
subsequently  accepted  it  at  the  solicitation  of  his  friends  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  he  removed  with  his  family  to  that  city  in  1854. 
Here  his  health  being  much  impaired  from  constant  labor  and 
duty,  and,  realizing  that  he  could  not  undergo  the  fatigue  conse- 
quent upon  the  prosecution  of  his  profession,  and  the  regular 
course  of  lectures  which  devolved  upon  him  as  a  Professor,  he  re- 
signed his  chair,  and  temporarily  removed  with  his  family  to  Alabama, 
spending  the  winter  months  near  Montgomery.  Perceiving  no 
beneficial  results  from  the  change  of  climate,  he  returned  home 
early  in  the  following  spring,  and  sailed  for  Europe  in  May.  At 
this  time  he  was  suffering  with  a  pulmonary  complaint,  and  distin- 
guished practitioners  gave  him  but  little  hope  of  recovery. 

Upon  his  arrival  in  Europe,  Dr.  Parrish  formed  a  desire  to  visit 
Switzerland  during  the  cold  winter  months.  He  accordingly  pro- 
ceeded, in  company  with  his  wife  and  three  friends,  to  cross  the  Saint 
Bernard  Pass  during  the  month  of  December.  The  severity  of  the 
weather,  together  with  the  hardships  endured  during  this  triji,  were 
of  incalculable  benefit  to  the  Doctor,  and  his  health  began  to  improve 
from  this  period. 

Eemaining  in  Kome  for  some  time,  he  frequently  visited  the 
various  hospitals  and  asylums,  and  was  much  impressed  with  the 
lack  of  care  and  interest,  exhibited  by  the  authorities  of  some,  for  the 
unfortunate  beings  committed  to  their  charge.  Commencing  to  expos- 
tulate with  the  authorities  of  the  Insane  Department  of  the  San  Spirito 
Hospital,  for  the  harshness  and  severity  of  their  discipline,  he  was 
referred  to  the  Prefect  of  the  charities  of  the  city.  Here  he  was 
referred  to  His  Holiness,  Pope  Pio  Nono ;  but  finding  it  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  a  personal  intei-view  with  the  Pope,  owing  to  the 
circumlocution  of  those  in  attendance  upon  him,  he  drew  up  an 
argent  appeal  addressed  to  His  Holiness,  which,  after  being  translated, 
was  handed  in  person  to  Cardinal  Autonelli,  with  whom  the  Doctor 
conversed  freely  upon  the  subject,  which  greatly  interested  his  sym- 

490 


JOSEPH    PARRISH,    M.  D. 

pathies.  The  Cardinal  was  impressed  witli  tlie  force  and  earnestness 
ot  the  appeal,  and  promised  to  communicate  with  the  Pope  upon 
the  subject.  This  he  did,  and  a  message  was  sent  to  Doctor  Parrish 
by  the  Pope,  after  he  left  Eome,  saying  that  he  "  was  graciously  in- 
debted to  the  young  American  for  his  kindly  a.id  judicious  interest  " 
A  medical  commission  was  soon  after  appointed  to  examine  the 
hospitals,  and  also  to  visit  similar  institutions  in  France  and  Ger- 
many. This  resulted  in  the  entire  correction  of  the  glarincr  abuses 
of  power  upon  the  helpless  inmates  of  the  asylums,  which  had  so 
tboroughly  aroused  the  keen  sympathies  of  the  young  American 
philanthropist. 

After  an  absence  of  nearly  a  year  in  traveling  through  European 
countries.  Dr.  Parrish  returned  to  his  native  city,  greatly  im- 
proved in  health,  and  veiy  anxious  to  re-commence  the  practice  of 
his  profession  under  auspices  that  were,  perhaps,  more  favorable  than 
usually  await  a  young  practitioner  of  medicine,  and  havin^  besides 
the  advantage  of  a  Fellowship  in  the  College  of  Physicians  of  that 
city  But  he  was  persuaded  to  abandon  the  idea  by  the  large  circle 
of  friends,  whom  he  had  already  attracted  to  him  by  his  writings 
and  lectures,  as  well  as  by  his  large  and  successful  practice. 

About  this  time  a  few  prominent  gentlemen  of  Philadelphia  in 
connection  with  the  late  Bishop  Potter,  of  Pennsvlvania,  made  an 
eflort  to  establish  an  institution  for  the  training  of  "idiots.     Havin- 
obtained  a  charter  from  the  State,  they  had  organized  and  beo-un 
expernnentmg  with  a  few  cases  in  a  rented  property  at  Germantown, 
near  Philadelphia.      Unknown  to  Dr.   Parrish  his  name  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Board  of  Directors,  as  a  suitable  person  to  give  inspira- 
tion and    life  to  the  enterprise,  and  the  position  was  accordingly 
tendered  him.  After  a  careful  consideration  of  the  subject,  and  a  vLt 
to  the  infant  institution,  which  he  found  in  a  state  of  confusion  and 
disorder,  he  finally  decided  to  accept  the  charge,  finding  in  its  novelty 
and  difficulty,  an  incentive  to  mental  activity,  as  well  as  an  urgent 
demand  upon  his  philanthropy.     Accordingly  he  rented  a  cottage  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Training  School,  and  commenced  an 
active  administration  of  its  affairs.     This  resulted  in  a  speedv  recocr. 
n.tionof  the  value  of  the  institution,  both  by  the  people  and   the 
Legislature  of  Pennsylvania.      Large  contributions  were  made  by 
private  subscriptions,  and  liberal  appropriations  were  granted  by  the 
btate.   Wiih  his  natural  capacity  for  influencing  individuals  and  bodies 
ot  men,  Dr.  Parrish  soon  after  succeeded  in  securing  legislative  grants 

491  ,  ° 


JOSEPH    PARRISH,   M.  D. 

fro  Ji  the  adjoining  States  of  New  Jersey  and  Delaware,  as  also  from 
the  City  Councils  of  Philadelpliia,  in  consideration  of  receiving  and 
treating  a  given  number  of  imbecile  children  from  their  respective 
localities.  After  several  years  of  arduous  labor  devoted  to  the  Train- 
ing School,  which  had  been  removed  to  Media,  near  Philadelphia,  and 
after  seeing  it  satisfactorily  estabhshed  upon  a  permanent  foundation, 
the  Doctor  tendered  his  resignation  in  1863,  as  superintendent  of  the 
Institution,  to  enter  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  Sanitary 
Commission.  The  board  of  Directors  at  first  refused  to  accept  his  res- 
ignation, and  insisted  upon  his  taking  three  months  for  the  purpose 
of  reconsidering  his  determination.  This  the  Doctor  declined  to  do, 
feeling  that  duty  required  him  to  enter  the  service  of  his  country ; 
and  thus  he  left  the  institution  which  he  alone  had  developed,  and 
which  to-day  stands  as  a  monument  to  the  fidelity,  earnestness  and 
zeal  of  Dr.  Parrish,  whose  name  can  never  be  effaced  from  the 
record  of  its  successful  organization,  and  establishment. 

Upon  entering  the  Sanitary  Commission,  the  Doctor's  worth  and 
efficiency  made  themselves  immediately  manifest,  as  was  testified  to 
by  the  various  important  trusts  which  were  at  once  confided  to  his 
care.     He  first  acted  as  an  inspector  of  the  camps  and  hospitals  in 
the  vicinity  of  Washington ;  and  here  he  labored  zealously  to  make 
himself  acquainted  with  the  actual  wants  of  the  soldiers.     When  the 
government  required  more  help  in  the  procuring  of  supplies,  Dr. 
Parrish  was  delegated  to  travel  through  the  principal  towns  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  of  some  other  States,  holding  public  meetings,  and  or- 
ganizing Aid  Societies.     About  this  time  he  also  edited  the  Sanilarij 
Commission  Bulletin,  in  connection  with  his  other  services,  and  so 
successful  was  he  in  organizing  societies  for  the  manufacture  of  gar- 
ments, and  the  collection  of  supplies,  that  he  was  requested  by  the 
Sanitary  Commission  Board,  to  visit  the  Govei-nors  and  the  Legisla- 
tures of  the  loyal  States,  and  endeavor  to  unify  and   concentrate 
the  work  of  this  important  auxiliary  to  the  government :  which  he  did 
with  very  gratifying  results.     To  complete  his  good  work,  the  Doctor 
made  an  extended  tour  to  numerous  camps  and  hospitals  within  the 
Union   lines    in    the  West   and  South,    under  a  full   commission 
from  the   President  of  the   United  States.     He  was  always  to  be 
found  wherever  and  whenever  there  was  sufiering  humanity  to  be 
attended.     He  visited  Nashville,  Lookout  Mountain,  Chicamagua, 
New  Berne,   and  other  intermediate  places,  looking  after  the  sick 
and  wounded,  and  distributing  the  supplies  of  the  people  through 
the  authorities  of  the  government.     For  some  months,  he  also  took 

492 


JOSEPH    PARRISH,    M.  D. 


charge  of  the  supply  stations  at  White  House  and  City  Point,  where 
he  received  from  the  Commission  whole  cargoes  of  clothing,  ice,  and 
hospital  stores  for  gratuitous  distribution. 

Mrs.  Parrish  accompanied  her  husband  in  several  of  his  expedi- 
tions nearer  home,  besides  which  she  was  herself  in  charge  of  the 
stores  at  Annapolis,  Maryland,  where  she  contributed  not  a  little  by 
her    own   personal   attentions   to   alleviate  the   sufterings   of  both 
Northern   and  Southern  sick  and  wounded.     She  also  prepared  a 
very  large  edition  of  a  little  volume  called  the  "Soldiers  Friend," 
containing  directions  how  to  find  the  Eests  and  Lodges  of  the  Com- 
mission, as  also  a  choice  collection  of  hymns,  for  gratituous  distri- 
bution among  the  soldiers.     Fifty  thousand  of  these  were  printed  by 
the  Commission,  and  distributed  gratuitously  iu  the  army  and  navy. 
Immediately  after  the  sui-reuder  of  General  Lee's  army,  which 
terminated  the  Civil  War,  Dr.  Parrish  went  to  Richmond,  Virginia, 
and  rendered  valuable  assistance  to  the  disbanded  soldiers  of  both 
armies,  as  well  as  to  the  multitudes  of  vagrant  negroes,  who,  without 
food  or  shelter,  demanded  the  resources  of  the  Sanitary  Commission. 
Dm-ing  this  visit,  as  also  at  different  points  during  the  war,  Dr.  Parrish 
beoame  interested  in  the  condition  of  the  newly  emanciijated  slaves. 
Terminating  these  labors  with  the  close  of  the  war,  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  visiting  schools  throughout  the  Southern  States,  in  con  • 
nection  with  the  Freedmau's  Commission,  and,  in  company  with  his 
estimable  wife,  visited  all  of  the  important  cities  of  the  Southern 
States,  and  inspected  the  schools  in  order  to   observe   and   report 
their  true  condition. 

It  is  a  noteworthy  fact,  that  in  all  his  years  of  travel  and  labor 
in  camps  and  hospitals  during  the  war,  and  among  the  disbanded  and 
disorganized  armies  immediately  following  the  war,  amid  the  chaotic 
state  of  society  which  then  existed,  that  the  Doctor  never  carried 
a  weapon  or  fireai-m  of  any  description.  He  was  once  arrested  by  a 
picket  in  Virginia,  and  upon  beuig  taken  before  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  post,  was  at  once  released,  and  funii&hed  with  an  escort 
to  his  place  of  destination. 

The  variety  and  exercise  of  mind  connected  with  these  important 
labors,  were  the  means  of  invigorating  his  health  and  enabling  the 
Doctor  to  engage  in  what  he  is  said  to  regard  as  the  most  important 
mission  of  his  life,— the  establishment  of  hospitals  fo^  inebriates,  and 
the  promulgation  of  his  sound  and  impressive  views  on  the  disease 
of  intemperance. 

493 


JOSEPH    PAllRISH,    M.  D, 

Upon  bis  return  to  Pennsylvania  at  tlie  close  of  these  labors,  Dr. 
Parrish,  with  his  characteristic  activity  of  mind  and  body,  at  once 
turned  liis  entire  attention  to  the  rapidly  developino^  evil  of  intem- 
perance or  inebriety.  Satisfied  in  his  own  mind  that  inebriety  is 
actually  a  disease,  and  consequently  subject  to  the  same  causes  and 
treatment  as  other  diseases,  he  organized  tiie  Pennsylvania  Sanitarium 
for  the  cure  of  inebriates.  This  institution  he  located  at  Media, 
Delaware  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  he  still  holds  the  position  as 
President  of  the  Board  of  Directors.  In  connection  with  liis  tiieoi-y 
of  the  disease  of  intemperance.  Dr.  Parrish,  in  1870,  invited  the  phy- 
sicians interested  in  similar  institutions  throughout  the  country,  to 
meet  in  New  York  on  an  appointed  day.  These  gentlemen  met  at 
the  time  and  place  fixed  upon,  and  organized  the  American  Associa- 
tion for  the  cure  of  inebriates.  The  presidency  was  tendered  Dr. 
Parrish  at  the  first  meeting,  but  upon  his  motion,  Dr.  Willard  Par- 
ker of  New  York  was  elected  president,  Dr.  Parrish  preferring  to 
act  as  secretary.  Two  years  afterwards  he  was  again  tendered  the 
presidency,  which  position  he  now  fills. 

In  1872,  the  Association  was  requestedby  Dr.  Donald  Dalrymple, 
chairman  of  a  select  committee  of  the  English  House  of  Commons, 
to  send  a  delegation  to  London  to  appear  before  the  committee,  and 
give  their  testimony,  and  the  result  of  their  experience  in  the  treat- 
ment of  inebriety.  The  Association  thereupon  appointed  Dr.  Parrish 
and  Dr.  Dodge,  of  Binghamton,  New  York,  as  their  committee,  who 
subsequently  sailed  for  London  in  April,  1872.  Arriving  there, 
tliey  appeared  daily  befoj'e  the  committee  for  two  weeks,  and  a  full 
stenographic  report  of  their  testimony  was  taken  and  subsequently 
jDublished  by  the  British  Government.  The  committee  were  so  im- 
pressed with  the  views  of  these  gentlemen,  that  they  made  a  unani- 
mous report,  adopting  their  recommendations.  Previous  to  the  invi- 
tation to  appear  before  tlie  committee,  however,  Dr.  Dalrymple  had 
traveled  through  the  United  States,  visiting  the  several  institutions 
in  this  country  for  the  cure  of  inebriates.  An)ong  other  institutions, 
he  visited  the  Sanitarium  at  Media,  and  in  mentioning  it  in  his  re- 
port to  the  House  of  Commons,  Dr.  Dalrymple  says,  "  I  visited  the 
establishment  at  Media  twice,  though  I  only  once  saw  the  superin- 
tendent, Dr.  Parrish,  who,  from  length  of  experience,  accurate  knowl- 
edge, moderation  of  views,  and  sobriety  of  judgment,  I  place  at  the 
head  of  ail  those  with  whom  I  have  had  communication." 

Soon  after  his  return  from  England,  the  Doctor  was  unexpect- 

494 


JOSEPH    PARRISH,    M.  D 

edly  appointed,  by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  to  negotiate 
a  treaty  with  tlie  warlike  Indians  in  the  territory  lying  north  of 
Texas,  and  was  furnished  with  his  commission  by  the  Secretary  of 
the  Interior.  He  at  once  repaired  to  Washington,  and,  in  an  inter- 
view with  the  Secretary,  declined  the  appointment,  after  repeated 
solicitations  to  reconsider  his  determination. 

Six  months  after  his  return  to  America,  Dr.  Parrish  was  requested 
by  the  Trustees  of  the  Maryland  Inebriate  Asylum,  located  at  Bal- 
timore, to  devote  a  portion  of  his  time  to  that  institution,  which  he 
consented  to  do,  January  1st,  1873.  Upon  taking  charge  of  this 
institution.  Dr.  Parrish  found  everything  in  a  most  discouraging 
condition.  The  asylum,  although  incorporated  by  the  Maryland 
Legislature  as  far  back  as  1860,  was  almost  entirely  unknown,  even 
to  the  citizens  of  the  State,  and  its  practical  usefulness  as  a  remedial 
agency  was  considered  doubtful,  even  by  those  who  had  charge  of 
it.  He  commenced  at  once,  however,  to  secure  the  active  co-opera- 
tion of  his  board  of  Trustees,  to  arouse  them  to  a  more  lively  interest 
in  the  benevolent  work  in  which  they  had  engaged,  and  also  to  make 
the  institution  known  throughout  the  country.  During  all  this  time 
he  has  been  constantly  contributing  to  the  public  press,  as  also  some 
very  valuable  contributions  to  the  medical  literature  of  the  country, 
in  the  form  of  reports  upon  idiotcy  and  inebriety,  which  have  at- 
tracted considerable  attention,  and  secured  to  him  a  prominent  posi- 
tion as  an  authority  upon  these  subjects.  In  addition  to  official 
reports  of  his  institutions,  among  his  prominent  publications  may 
be  named  "  Eeport  to  the  Legislature  on  the  Criminal  and  Depend- 
ent population  of  Pennsylvania,"  "Philosophy  of  Intemperance," 
"  Intemperance  as  a  Disease,"  being  a  report  before  the  Pennsylvania 
State  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  was  first  Vice  President ;  "  Clas- 
sification and  Treatment  of  Inebriates,"  "  Opium  intoxication,"  "  The 
Pathology  of  Inebriety,"  being  a  lecture  delivered  before  the  "Med- 
ical and  Chirurgical  Society  of  Maryland,"  and  several  unpublished 
papers  upon  the  use  of  opium,  as  well  as  reports  on  the  causes  and 
treatment  of  inebriety,  the  novelty  and  force  of  which  have  attracted 
general  attention,  and  sometimes  severe  criticism,  especially  from  the 
religious  press,  on  account  of  the  purely  scientific  views  of  the  sub- 
ject presented.  In  addition  to  these  prominent  papers,  the  Doctor 
has  been  frequently  found  upon  the  lecture  stand  on  various  subjects 
of  public  interest. 

The   result   of  the  Doctor's  experience  and  untii-iug  devotion, 

495 


JOSEPH    PAKRISH,    M.  D. 

have  long  since  made  themselves  manifest  in  the  growth  and  pros- 
perity which  have  attended  his  laboi'S.  From  a  desponding  case  of 
almost  total  insolvency,  he  lias  made  the  Maryland  Asylum  second  to 
none  of  the  same  character  in  the  country.  The  trustees  have  recently 
purchased  a  beautiful  estate  within  a  few  miles  of  Baltimore,  where 
his  favorite  scheme  of  the  cottage  system  has  been  adojDted.  The 
grounds  are  beautifully  shaded,  and  sequestered,  and  offer  a  retreat 
for  the  unfortunate,  xausurpassed  in  this  country  for  comfort,  quiet 
and  refinement.  Here  the  Doctor  follows  his  favorite  theory,  which 
Las  been  acknowledged  by  eminent  physicians  throughout  the  world, 
that  inebriety  and  the  opium  habit  are  diseases,  and  as  such  are  sub- 
ject to  regular  medical  treatment,  as  other  diseases  are.  This 
theory  he  was  probably  the  first  to  elaborate  in  such  a  way  that  it 
was  accepted  by  the  medical  profession,  and  he  has  already  contrib- 
uted more  to  the  literature  on  tliis  special  branch  than  any  other 
man,  besides  being  urged,  by  a  large  number  of  medical  friends, 
to  write  a  book  upon  the  subject,  which,  for  the  benefit  of  the  pro- 
fession, and  mankind,  it  is  to  be  hoped  he  will  do  at  any  early  day. 

Personally,  Dr.  Parrish  attracts  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact, by  an  unconscious  magnetism  of  manner,  which  is  at  all  times 
pleasant  and  urbane.  In  his  intercourse  with  patients  under  his 
care,  this  is  particularly  noticeable  in  the  unreserved  mannei"  with 
which  they  confide  themselves  and  their  previous  histories  to  his 
keeping.  His  temperament  is  even,  and  generally  unmoved  by  the 
many  annoyances  to  which  one  in  his  position  is  so  constantly  ex- 
posed. In  his  recent  writings  he  almost  entirely  confines  himself  to 
the  medical  aspect  of  opium  eating,  and  alcoholic  excess.  He  declines 
to  connect  himself  with  temperance  societies,  or  to  be  identified  with 
the  popular  movements  in  the  same  direction.  To  use  his  own 
words,  be  prefers  "  not  to  dilute  his  energies"  by  too  much  subdivi- 
sion, the  subject  he  has  in  hand  being  lai'ge  enough.  To  this  sub- 
ject, it  is  said  that  he  purposes  devoting  tlie  remainder  of  his  life, 
intending,  not  only  in  theory,  but  also  in  practice,  to  demonstrate 
the  soundness  and  correctness  of  his  advanced  views.  In  the  midst 
of  all  his  labors,  the  only  relaxation  he  seeks  is  in  study,  and  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  may  be  said  to  be  in  the  prime  of  life, 
while  he  has  not  yet  attained  the  zenith  of  his  influence  and  fame, 
and  gives  promise  of  greater  usefulness  in  the  future,  as  the  results 
of  his  profound  researches,  and  great  organizing  and  administrative 
abilities. 

496 


CHARLES   K.   ROBERTS. 


ia,,.'^^^ 


% 


^i". 


^R.  CBARLES  H.  ROBERTS  was  bora  January  14th, 
1821,  in  tlie  town  of  Moreau,  Saratoga  county,  New 
York.     From  necessity  he  grew  to  manhood  in  habits 


l^^jp  *  of  strict  economy  and  industry,  and,  like  the  sons  of 
(^^  most  farmers  of  those  times,  he  was  required  to  go  in  the 
^^  field  early  and  work  hard  and  late  in  the  day.  At  the  age 
of  sixteen  the  bonds  of  his  attachment  for  home  were  greatly 
lessened  by  the  loss  of  his  mother,  and  he  soon  began  to  resolve 
upon  efforts  for  a  liveliliood  beyond  the  limited  sphere  of  farm 
surroundings  and  associations.  Denied  the  advantages  of  good 
schools  near  his  home,  and  yearning  for  better  opportunities,  he 
accordingly  quitted  the  parental  roof  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  the  architect  of  his  own  character  and 
fortune. 

Circumstances  were  by  no  means  propitious  at  this  time  for  the 
youth  who  had  thus  taken  his  fate  in  his  own  hands.  His  ward- 
robe was  scanty  and  the  lack  of  means  and  influence  threw  many 
and  painful  difficulties  in  his  way.  Yet,  sustained  by  honesty  of 
purpose,  a  consciousness  of  strict  integrity  and  a  laudable  ambi- 
tion to  strive  and  to  win,  he  commenced  a  manly  battle  of  life  by 
attending  school  during  the  winter  seasons,  and  laboring  on  farms 
through  the  busy  months  of  summer. 

Some  years  of  perseverance  in  tliis  manner  enabled  him  to 
change  his  season  of  labor  by  attending  school  during  the  sum- 
mer and  teaching  through  the  winter  months;  and,  after  spending 
a  few  summers  at  the  Glens  Falls  Academy,  he  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine,  with  Dr.  N.  Edson  Sheldon,  of  that  village,  in 
1842.  Then  followed  several  years  of  diligent  application,  alter- 
nating, in  the  meantime,  teaching  with  studying,  until,  with  some 
kindly  assistance  from  his  preceptor,  he  was  prepared  to  enter  the 
Albany  Medical  College. 

497 


CHARLES    H.    ROBERTS. 

When  it  became  necessary  to  enter  the  College  above  named^ 
young  Roberts,  not  being  able  to  pay  the  tuition  of  less  than  one 
hundred  dollars  for  the  first  course,  ascertained  that  the  charter 
of  that  institution  required  it  to  admit  two  worthy  and  promis- 
incj  students,  one  term  each,  gratuitously,  at  each  session,  to  be 
appointed  by  the  Regents  of  Universities.  On  learning  the 
course  necessary  to  pursue  to  obtain  such  appointment,  he  wrote 
to  William  Wilcox,  member  of  the  Legislature  from  his  native 
county,  who  knew  his  circumstances,  reminding  him  of  the  toil 
and  time  saved  on  the  part  of  the  applicant  by  an  appointment, 
and  requesting  him  to  see  the  Regents  in  Albany,  suggesting  at 
the  same  time  that  "  he  might  not  consider  him  a  fit  subject  for 
the  appointment  under  the  terms  of  the  charter,  and  regretting 
the  necessity  of  asking  him  to  take  the  trouble  in  his  behalf,  but, 
knowing  a  noble  mind  is  as  willing  to  grant  favor  as  to  receive 
them,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  do  so."  In  accordance  with  this 
request  the  Regents  were  promptly  called  upon  by  the  Honorable 
member,  the  matter  was  explained  to  them,  the  letter  produced 
and  the  appointment  made  at  once,  as  one  of  the  Regents,  Dr. 
Eights,  told  the  member  tiom  Saratoga,  "  on  the  evidence  of  the 
letter." 

After  the  close  of  the  term  which  he,  with  but  ten  dollars  in 
his  pocket,  went  to  Albany  to  attend,  followed  another  season  of 
teaching  and  studying  and  then  the  final  struggle,  the  second  and 
last  course,  and  taking  the  Diploma  conferring  the  title  of 
"  Doctor  of  Medicine"  if  found  competent  after  the  closing  rigid 
examination. 

To  defray  the  expenses  of  this  second  course,  without  waiting 
still  another  year,  seemed  quite  impossible,  but  arrangements  were 
eventually  made  with  the  attorney  of  the  College  to  take  a  joint 
note  of  N.  Edsou  Sheldon  and  C.  H.  Roberts  for  the  tuition,  pay- 
able one  year  after  date.  This  note  was  given,  the  term  attended 
and  the  Diploma  received.  The  year  soon  passed  and  tlie  note 
matured,  but  money  enough  had  not  been  accumulated,  after 
meeting  necessary  engagements,  to  pay  it  in  full.  The  amount 
on  hand  however,  was  promptly  applied  on  the  note  the  day  it 
matured,  and  satisfactory  arrangements  were  made  for  paying  the 
balance,  principal  and  interest,  in  instalments,  which  were  sub- 
sequently promptly  met. 

498 


CHARLES    H.     ROBERTS. 

In  his  days  of  poverty  and  embarrassed  circumstances  Dr. 
Eoberls'  credit  was  always  good,  owing  to  his  promptness  in  ful- 
filling his  agreements.  When  necessity  compelled  him  in  making 
a  small  loan  (large  in  proportion  to  his  ability  to  pay),  he  would 
set  the  day  of  payment,  which  he  never  failed  to  meet,  yet  he  often 
found  it  necessary  to  borrow  of  the  second  to  pay  the  first  and 
sometimes  the  third  to  pay  the  second,  and  occasionally  back  to 
the  first  to  pay  the  third,  thus  borrowing  in  a  circle  so  to  speak, 
but  his  well-known  promptness  in  fulfilling  his  engagements 
always  secured  compliance  with  his  requests.  In  later  years  it 
has  been  a  subject  of  boastful  pride  that  his  name  was  never  pro- 
tested as  payer  of  an  obligation. 

To  achieve  what  the  subject  of  this  sketch  has  accomplished 
may  appear  as  an  easy  task  to  those  living  in  these  days  of  liberal 
compensation  for  services  and  far  greater  educational  facilities,  but 
young  Roberts  labored  and  struggled  under  difl'erent  times.  He 
was  an  extra  man  who  commanded  thirteen  dollars  per  month  for 
the  eight  farming  months  of  the  season,  and  an  extra  teacher 
that  received  fifteen  dollars  per  month  in  a  country  district 
school  with  board  alternated  among  his  patrons. 

Dr.  Roberts  returned  to  Glens  Falls,  after  the  close  of  the  term 
at  the  Medical  College,  in  the  Spring  of  1846,  with  diploma  in 
hand,  and  his  profession  as  his  only  present  or  prospective  means 
of  support.  In  his  usual  thoughtful  habit  he  calmly  conprehend- 
ed  the  situation  and  surveyed  his  chances  of  success.  The 
medical  profession  at  that  time  appeared  to  him  to  be  preyed  up- 
on by  pretenders  and  charlatans  of  every  kind,  and  the  man  of 
pretentions  stood  fully  as  good  a  chance  for  temporary  success  as 
the  man  of  worth.  To  begin  the  struggle,  backed  only  by  a 
dijiloma,  seemed  too  unpromising  to  Dr.  Roberts,  inasmuch  as  he 
was  wholly  dependent  upon  his  exertions  for  a  livelihood,  and 
already  in  debt  for  tuition  at  the  Medical  College.  He  could  not 
therefore  afford  to  enter  the  contest  in  the  practice  of  medicine, 
and  await  the  uncertain  result.  So  he  carefully  looked  about  for 
some  vocation  to  which  his  previous  studies  would  best  qualify 
him,  and  one  that  would  give  more  immediate  compensation.  He 
finally  decided  on  Dentistry  as  the  profession  of  his  choice. 

After  qualifying  himself  for  practice  he  visited  professionally 
several  villages  in  Saratoga,  Washington  and  Dutchess  Counties. 

499 


CHARLES     H.    ROBERTS. 

He  devoted  the  winter  of  1848  to  the  study  of  Chemistry  and 
Surgery  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and,  in  May,  1849,  first 
located  permanently  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  where  his  success  was 
far  better  than  could  have  been  anticipated.  In  1848  he  com- 
menced using  the  painless  process  for  destroying  the  nerves  of 
teeth,  with  a  minute  portion  ot  pure  crystaline  white  oxide  of 
arsenic,  mixed  with  morphia  and  tannic  acid.  This  process  was 
so  effective  in  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  intended  that  it 
materially  aided  him  in  the  commencement  of  liis  practice. 

He  was  among  the  first  to  introduce  in  the  practice  the  use 
of  continuous  gum  work  on  platinum  plates,  and  claims  to  be  the 
first  who  covered  the  entire  plate  over  the  roof  of  the  mouth  with 
o-um  and  body,  thas  giving  the  roof  of  the  mouth  the  appearance 
of  nature.     He  commenced  this  practice  in  1853. 

In  1856,  as  his  health  was  impaired  by  close  and  unremitting 
attention  to  business,  he  sought  rest  and  recreation  in  a  visit  to 
Europe,  where  he  had  flattering  offers  by  dentists  to  resume  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  both  in  Vienna  and  Paris.  But  he 
had  determined,  when  he  took  leave  of  his  office  in  Poughkeepsie, 
to  take  also  leave  of  the  practice  of  the  profession.  In  1859  he 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  Robert's  '-Os-artificiel,"  a  prei> 
aration  of  the  silicate  of  the  oxi-chloride  of  zinc,  which,  in  time, 
was  used  wherever  dentistry  was  practiced. 

He  prosecuted  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  same  rooms 
for  nineteen  years,  and  numbered  among  his  patrons  many  of  the 
most  prominent  families  of  the  State.  During  this  period  he  be- 
came interested  in  numerous  operations  outside  of  his  profession, 
which  were  directed  with  good  judgment  and  prudence  that  lead 
to  success.  Among  the  more  prominent  of  these  may  be  men- 
tioned the  entering  of  public  lands  in  Iowa,  Wisconsin  and 
Missouri,  which  he  commenced  in  1855,  entering  all  such  only- 
after  personal  examination  of  the  lands. 

During  the  crisis  of  1857  and  until  1861,  he  went  into  large 
operations  in  Western  railroad  securities,  which  proved  abvin- 
dantly  successful.  Securities  purchased  bv  him  during  these 
years  to  the  full  extent  of  his  ability,  and  against  the  advice  of 
his  friends — as  they  were  cons' dered  worthless  and  sold  for  nominal 
prices — enhanced  in  value  as  the  war  progressed.  Western  lands 
became  valueless  and  a  dead  weight  to  |cairy  over  these  years  of 

500 


CHARLES     H.     ROBERTS. 

depression,  owing  to  increased  taxation,  but  Dr.  Roberts  not  only 
carried  his,  but  added  many  more  by  purchasing  from  those  who 
desired  to  sell. 

Every  crisis,  like  an  extremely  iiot  or  cold  day,  is  considered, 
for  the  time,  being,  a  little  worse  than  any  previous  one.  .For 
temperature  there  is  a  correct  and  reliable  measurement,  whereas 
tor  monetary  crises  there  is  no  exact  scale  of  measurement,  and 
their  severity  can  only  be  approximated  by  the  quotation  of  values. 
During  this  period  of  depression  Erie  R.  R.  stock  sold  as  low  as 
three  cents  on  the  dollar,  and  Hudson  River  R.  R.  stock  touched  ' 
as  low  as  six  cents  on  the  dollar,  and  comparatively  few  were  bold 
enough  to  purchase  at  those  figures. 

Dr.  Roberts  was  married  on  the  20th  December,  1866,  and 
passed  the  remainder  of  that  winter  in  Havana,  Cuba.  In  May, 
1868,  he  surrendered  his  practice  in  Poughkeepsie  to  his  nephew. 
Dr.  C.  L.  Houghton,  and  retired  from  tlie  professior;  to  his  farm 
near  the  city,  where  he  now  resides,  devoting  his  time  chiefly  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  although  he  is  also  largely  interested  in  the 
manufacture  of  paper.  At  this  writing  (1874)  he  is  spending  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  in  Wilmington,  N.  C,  as  President  of 
"  The  Carolina  Central  Railway  Company." 

Tills  brief  record  of  a  successful  business  career  offers  an  in- 
structive and  encouraging  lesson  to  the  young  who  are  struggling, 
as  Dr.  Roberts  struggled,  under  manifold  difiiculties  to  pusii  on- 
ward and  upward  in  life.  It  is  a  success  achieved  despite  obstacles 
that  would  have  discouraged  any  but  the  most  resolute;  a  triumph 
due,  not  to  any  special  brilliancy  of  genius,  but  to  strict  attention 
to  business,  rigid  economy,  good,  strong  common  sense,  a  per- 
sistancy  amounting  almost  to  pertinacity,  never  yielding  when  in 
the  right,  but  at  the  same  time  respecting  the  rights  of  others 
and  above  all,  an  unquestioned  integrity  that  neverVails  to  inspire 
confidence  and  consideration. 

oOl 


lUwh(^^A^l^^^ 


ROBERT  MCALLISTER. 

By  Genekal  John  Watts  de  Peysteb. 


o 


HEN  the  "  Great  Civil  War"  in  England  had  terminated, 
indeed,  with  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.,  even  the 
most  bigoted  opponents  of  the  old  Cromwellian  army 
were  compelled  to  admit  that  the  best  class  of  citizens, 
^  in  every  rank,  position,  and  calling,  was  composed  of  the  dis- 
"f  banded,  God-fearing  constituents  of  that  army,  with  which 
S^e  great  Oliver  had  established  the  Commonwealth,  subjected  Eng- 
land, Scotland,  and  Ireland,  and  made  his  country's  first  popular 
government  respected  and  feared,  at  home  and  abroad,  by  Pope, 
Kaiser,  King,  civilized  or  barbarian  governments.  In  many  re- 
spects the  same  remark  would  apply,  and  has  been  justly  applied,  to 
that  wonderful  armament  which  restored  the  integrity  of  these 
United  States.  But  to  none  would  it  more  justly  apply  than  to  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  Brevet  Major-General  Eobert  McAllister,  by 
extraction  a  Pennsylvanian,  but  whose  fome  in  reality  belongs  to 
New  Jersey.  He  is  remarkable  as  one  of  those  stern  religious  "  dis- 
ciples of  duty,"  who  are  never  found  wanting  when  the  firm  resolu- 
tion and  exceptional  intrepidity,  founded  on  religious  conviction,  are 
requisite ;  one  of  those  characters  whose  impulses  vibrate,  not  to  the 
factitious  appeals  of  glory,  but  to  the  ever  reliable  calls  of  duty  ;  and 
as  such  he  is  worthy  to  appear  among  the  truly  "  representative  men  " 
of  our  country.  To  claim  that  he  is  a  perfect  character  in  the  exag 
gerated  sense  of  the  expression  would  be  to  arrogate  for  him  some- 
thing more  than  human,  but  we  do  claim  for  him  that  he  is  a  perfect 
type  of  the  ideal  Cromwellian  officer.  This  is  no  more  than  justice 
and  truth.  One  of  his  associate  Brigadiers,  of  the  same  corps,  in  his 
"Three  Years  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,"  has  drawn  a  pen  por- 
trait of  him,  which  justifies  all  the  preceding  remarks ;  and  when  we 
consider  that  the  historian  was  a  Frenchman,  endowed  with  constitu- 
tional peculiarities  the  most  opposite  to  the  man  he  depicts,  it  be- 
comes the  more  valuable,  because  it  carries  with  it  the  assurance 

of  its  truthfulness. 

503 


ROBERT    MCALLISTER. 

McAllister,  according  to  bis  companion  in  arms,  presents  a  figure 
truly  original.  Ignoring  the  claims  of  family  and  business,  he  en- 
tered the  sei-vice  at  an  age  which  exempted  him  from  any  obligation 
to  perform  military  duty.  Without  a  single  assumption  of  any  of 
those  peculiarities  which  by  the  vulgar  are  deemed  inseparable  from 
the  bearing  and  hirsute  physiognomy  of  a  professional  soldier  ;  his 
face  was  completely  sliaven,  and  his  honest  features  and  bearing, 
everything  about  him  presented  an  air  of  simplicity  and  modesty. 
His  habits  were  those  which  the  hastily  judging  world  attribute  to  a 
recluse;  but  very  far  from  this,  they  simjjly  distinguished  him  as  a  man 
who  has  his  passions  under  the  control  of  reason  and  religion.  Self- 
contained,  his  voice,  which  is  calm  and  gentle,  was  never  attuned  to 
tlie  diapason  of  an  oath,  or  anything  resembling  one.  Strictly  a 
temjoerance  man,  his  rigidity  was  for  himself,  his  tolerance  for  others. 
His  sole  preaching  was  his  exumjile.  His  staff  enjoyed  entire  liberty 
to  use  in  moderation  the  stimulants  to  which  he  never  resorted.  As 
exact  in  his  religious  practice,  as  sincere  in  his  belief,  he  had  the 
Protestant  service  regularly  celebrated,  every  Sunday,  at  his  head- 
quarters. The  most  agreeable  attention  that  could  be  shown  to  him 
was  to  attend  the  exercises  on  that  day,  and  be  present  at  the  sermon 
delivered  by  his  chaplain.  His  habitual  kindness  for  his  soldiers 
never  interfered  with  discipline.  If  his  personal  intervention  was 
required  in  the  infliction  of  punishment,  he  rarely  filled  to  accom-  ■ 
pany  it  with  an  admonition,  whose  tenor  and  accent  recalled  to  the 
culprit  the  sympathetic  reproofs  of  his  infancy  and  early  boyhood. 
His  soldiers  looked  up  to  him  with  affection  as  well  as  with  obe- 
dience. ■  The  result  was  that  when  the  storm  of  battle  broke,  this 
"father"  led  his  children  like  the  lioness  her  whelps.  If  McAllister 
was  one  of  the  most  excellent  of  men,  he  was  none  the  less  the  most 
vigorous  of  soldiers. 

Thus  far  de  Trobriand  on  his  character.  Viewed  from  the  stand- 
point of  a  professional  soldier,  McAllister  was  something  higher,  a 
soldier  from  the  self-imposed  necessity  of  self-sacrifice,  a  soldier  who 
never  forgot  that  he  was  fighting  in  the  army  of  the  Lord,  a  com- 
mander who  looked  on  his  subordinates  as  children  for  whose  welfare 
he  was  responsible  to  God.  Such  men  are  rare.  In  this  world  they 
seldom  attain  distinction,  in  the  sense  of  applause,  from  others.  Thev 
are  too  unselfish.  The  world  cannot  understand  unselfishness.  It 
generally  repays  it  with  ridicule  in  ordinary  life.  It  is  only  in  great 
emergencies  where  selfishness  saves  itself  at  the  expense  of  general 

504 


ROBEET    MCALLISTER. 

ruin  that  tbcse  modest  God-fearing  men  come  to  the  front,  and  by 
the  simple  performance  of  duty  compel  that  respect  from  their  de- 
tractor.s,  which  in  the  ordinary  course  of  affairs  would  only  be  con- 
ceded by  those  who  knew  their  real  worth. 

Such  a  man  pre-eminently  is  Robert  McAllister,  who  might  liave 
lived  and  died  unknown  to  fame,  a  quiet  homely  family  man,  liad 
not  a  great  emergency  suddenly  arisen,  a  country  threatened  by  civil 
wai,  made  in  the  interest  of  human  injustice,  to  establish  a  kingdom 
whose  corner-stone  should  be  the  denial  of  rights  of  any  sort  to  any 
man  whose  veins  contained  a  drop  of  African  blood.  It  is  hard  to 
conjecture  the  amount  of  human  misery  that  would  have  followed,  in 
all  parts  of  the  globe,  had  this  scheme  been  crowned  with  success. 
There  were  many  times  in  the  course  of  the  ensuing  struggle  when 
it  seemed  as  if  God  had  forgotten  his  people,  and  was  about  to  aban- 
don the  world  to  the  dominion  of  injustice,  but  in  the  darkest  hour 
the  faith  and  courage  of  those  few  unselfish  God-fearing  men,  of  whom 
our  hero  is  a  living  type,  never  failed,  and  they  prayed  on  and  fought 
on,  till  God's  justice  was  vindicated,  their  prayers  heard,  their  victory 
won. 

In  the  numerous  letters  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  written  to 
his  family  during  the  war,  and  describing  the  events  in  which  he 
took  part,  this  element  of  faith  and  prayer,  courage  and  humility, 
hand  in  hand,  is  everywhere  evident.  There  is  hardly  a  day  in  which 
he  does  not  record  that  his  prayers  for  mercy  and  help  went  up  to 
the  throne  of  Grace,  coupled  with  confessions  of  his  own  short-com- 
ings. There  is  no  record  of  personal  prowess,  no  vaunting  of  his 
own  perils.  Of  praise  to  others  there  is  no  stint.  No  man  admires 
and  respects  the  courage  of  others  more  highly,  or  mentions  it  more 
frequently.  But  after  all  the  recital  of  a  day's  hard  fishting,  the 
plain  old  soldier  never  fails  to  own  that  he  prayed  heartily  to  God 
for  help.  He  is  not  ashamed  of  his  religion,  but  glories  in  it.  With 
all  this  pride  in  being  a  soldier  of  Christ,  there  is  not  a  particle  of 
that  sour  vain-glory  which  is  so  apt  to  exist  in  the  Puritan  tempera- 
ment There  is  no  Phariseeism  in  McAllister ;  rather  an  excess  of 
kindliness,  overflowing  in  every  word  and  deed,  a  very  weakness  of 
kindness,  liable  to  be  imposed  on  by  every  pitiful  tale,  true  or  untrue, 
that  appeals  to  his  sympathies. 

As  we  write,  the  portrait  of  the  man  himself  looks  at  us  from  his 
kind  eyes,  the  face  of  a  man  to  whom  little  children  would  come  in- 
stinctively, secure  of  a  kind  word  and  caress,  to  whom  distressed 

505 


ROBERT    MCALLISTER. 

people  would  come  for  counsel,  beggars  for  help ;  the  face  of  a  man 
often  imposed  upon  and  cheated,  and  yet  always  ready  to  give  again, 
a  man  like  the  dead  Ilorace  Greeley  in  many  respects,  overflowing 
with  human  kindness,  while  devoid  of  the  nervous  excitability  which 
brought  Greeley  to  his  grave.  There  is,  withal,  in  that  face  a  look 
of  strong,  solid  common  sense  which  would  preserve  its  owner  from 
running  into  philanthropic  excesses  and  crotchets,  the  expression  of 
an  executive  man,  able  to  make  himself  obeyed  as  well  as  loved  in 
time  of  need. 

And  this  man  became  a  soldier,  one  who  held  his  own,  and  made 
himself  respected  by  men  his  very  opposite  in  character,  one  whose 
simple  manly  faith  in  God  compelled  the  wild  and  reckless  soldiers 
who  surrounded  him  to  recognize  the  real  superiority  of  the  coui-age 
of  duty  to  the  courage  of  careless  deviltry  ;  of  the  courage  that  never 
fails  to  that  which  depends  on  health  and  strength,  the  applause  of 
others,  or  desperation  and  disgust  with  life ;  a  courage — the  latter 
kind — which  varies  with  circumstances,  while  the  other  is  always  the 
same. 

Of  the  early  life  of  Robert  McAllister  we  can  present  no  better 
picture  than  he  once  gave  to  the  writer  himself  When  a  truthful 
man  writes  his  own  life,  we  learn  more  of  his  nature  than  any  one 
else  can  tell  us.  To  those  words  we  turn,  resuming  the  narrative 
where  his  purely  military  history  begins,  commending  the  simple 
recital  to  our  readers  for  its  concise  statement  of  all  essential  facts. 

"  I  was  born  on  the  Ist  day  of  June,  in  tbe  year  1813,  on  the  farm  still  owned  by 
our  family,  situated  in  Lost  Creek  Valley,  Juniata  County,  Pa.,  where  my  father 
before  me  was  born,  and  the  precise  place  on  which  my  grandfather,  Hugh  McAllis- 
ter, built  his  first  cabin  in  the  wilderness,  he  being  the  second  white  man  that  set- 
tled in  that  valley,  about  the  year  1760. 

"  My  grandfather,  Hugh  McAllister,  was  bom  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  His 
father  came  from  the  northern  part  of  Ireland,  about  the  year  1730,  having  emigrated 
thither  from  Scotland.  My  ancestors  were  strongly  imbued  with  the  principles  of 
civil  and  religious  liberty,  for  which  they  were  willing  to  light  even  unto  death.  My 
grandfather  and  grandmother  encountered  all  the  dangers  and  difficulties  of  a 
frontier  life  in  the  wilderness.  They  lived  peaceably  with  the  Indians  when  peace 
prevailed,  and  when  war  broke  out  these  Indians  warned  them  to  leave,  or  they 
would  be  killed.  My  grandfather  served  between  six  and  seven  years  in  the  Ameri- 
can army,  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  and  at  the  close  of  our  great  war  for  Inde- 
pendence had  attained  the  rank  of  Major.  My  father,  Hon.  William  McAllister, 
was  born  on  this  farm,  lived  and  died  there.  Out  of  a  large  family,  six  of  us  reached 
the  years  of  maturitv.  My  father's  motto  was,  '  work  or  school. '  As  I  was  to  be  a 
farmer,  I  did  not  receive  a  collegiate  education ;  only  had  the  advantages  of  schools 
of  the  neighborhood.  Whether  we  were  at  school  or  not,  we  generally  spent  our 
evenings  in  our  study  room,  from  which  we  learned  much  that  we  would  not  other- 

506 


ROBERT    MCALLISTER. 

wise  have  known.  *  »  •  *  jyjy  brother  Thompson  and  I  spent  a  great  deal  of 
time  together,  studying  military  tactics,  were  always  connected  with  military  com- 
panies, and  were  both  fond  of  drilling.  Little  did  either  of  us  then  think  that  the 
time  was  coming  when  our  swords  would  be  drawn  against  each  other,  in  a  contest 
that  threatened  the  destruction  of  our  country  and  government.  But  such  was  the 
fact. 

"Before  the  war,  I  was  promoted  from  a  Lieutenant  to  a  Captain,  then  to  Lieut. 
Colonel,  afterwards  Colonel,  then  Brigadier-General,  and  had  command  of  the  Brady 
Brigade,  of  the  uniformed  militia  of  Pennsylvania. 

"On  the  9th  day  of  November,  1841,  I  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Jane  Wilson, 
of  Mercersburg,  Pa. ,  and  resided  on  a  part  of  the  old  homestead  farm,  where  my 
two  children  were  born,  Sarah  Elizabeth  and  Henrietta  Graham. 

"In  the  year  1848,  I  commenced  contracting  and  building  railroads.  When  the 
rebellion  broke  out,  I  was  in  New  Jersey,  with  a  heavy  contract,  building  a  tunnel 
and  its  approaches  through  the  Oxford  Hills,  at  Oxford,  Warren  County,  for  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Kailroad  Co. 

"  This  work  was  well  advanced  aud  was  at  this  time  profitable  to  us.  When 
Fort  Sumter  was  fired  on,  I  said  to  my  partner,  '  One  of  us  must  go.  We  must  help 
fight  it  out.'  He  replied,  'You  are  the  military  man  of  this  firm  ;  you  go.'  I  re- 
plied, '  All  right ;  you  see  to  my  interests  here,  and  I  will  go, '  and  off  I  went  to  the 
seat  of  war,  or  rather,  raised  a  company  at  Oxford,  went  to  Trenton,  was  commis- 
sioned by  Governor  Olden  a  Lieut.  Colonel  in  the  1st  New  Jersey  regiment,  and 
started  to  Washington." 

Gen.  McAllister's  military  career  is  in  many  respects  a  remarkable 
one.  He  was  one  of  the  very  few  men  who  went  through  the  war 
from  its  inception  to  its  close,  being  present  at  Bull  Eun  and  at  Ap- 
pomattox Court  House  respectively,  without  missing  any  of  the 
pitched  battles  (except  South  Mountain  and  Antietam,)  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  to  which  he  was  attached  from  first  to  last. 

The  sole  exception  to  this  general  presence,  throwing  out  Pope's 
Campaign,  and  the  Maryland  Campaign  of  September,  1862,  was  for 
ninety  days  after  Gettysburg.  Two  wounds  received  at  that  battle, 
one  in  the  left  leg  and  the  other  in  the  right  foot,  sent  him  home  a 
temporary  cripple,  whereby  he  missed  the  minor  engagements  during 
Meade'sretreat  in  the  fall  of  1863,  but  before  the  Mine  Kun  cam- 
paign, he  was  back  again  in  the  field,  the  same  reliable  old  soldier, 
put  in  wherever  hard  knocks  were  required  to  be  given  and  taken. 

Indeed,  before  he  had  entirely  recovered  from  his  Gettysburg 
wounds,  he  returned  to  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  then  at  Culpeppei 
Court  House,  and  took  command  of  the  1st  Brigade,  2nd  Division, 
3rd  Corps.  With  it  he  advanced  to  Pony  Mountain,  on  that  re- 
connoisance  which  discovered  that  the  enemy  were  moving  eastward 
toward  Centreville.     Thereupon  commenced  Meade's  retreat,  which 

507 


ROBERT    MCALLISTER. 

has  often  been  styled  "  the  Race,"  and  is  qualified  by  one  of  the 
permanent  writers  upon  the  war — in  irony,  perhaps — •"  a  campaign 
of  manoeuvres." 

At  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  he  appears  in  the  same  character  which 
he  always  preserved,  steady,  modest  and  fearless,  and  inspiring  others 
by  his  example  to  do  their  duty  with  the  same  serenity  as  himself 
He  shall  tell  the  story  in  his  own  words,  while  we  incidentally  remark 
that  the  old  saying  about  "  truth  being  stranger  than  fiction  "  was 
never  better  exemplified  than  in  the  discrepancy  between  the  quiet, 
homely  New  Jersey  colonel,  and  the  brilliant  war  correspondent  of 
the  London  Tivies  in  their  respective  accounts  of  a  similar  transac- 
tion. 

Lieut.  Col.  McAllister,  commanding  1st  New  Jersey  Volunteers, 
in  a  letter  written  at  the  time,  says : 

"The  whole  scene  beggars  all  description  ;  and  yet,  strange  to  say,  our  officers 
and  men,  raw  as  they  were,  remained  cool  and  collected,  and  marched  through  these 
retreating  columns  with  a  firmness  which  astonished  all  who  saw  the  regiments, 
and  which  has  since  been  a  theme  of  universal  praise.        •        •        » 

••  A  civilian,  with  a  broad-rimmed  hat,  his  face  pale  as  death,  came  riding  down 
the  road  at  a  furious  rate.  I  ordered  him  to  halt.  He,  very  much  agitated  and 
frightened,  said,  '  I  am  a  civilian,  and  must  pass  on.'  '  No,  you  can't  pass,'  said  I ; 
'  my  orders  are  to  stop  everybody.'  He  then  said,  'I  am  a  bearer  of  dispatches  to 
Washington,  and  it  is  imperative  that  I  should  go  on.'  '  You  cannot  pass  until  this 
panic  is  stopped  ;  every  one  who  passes  helps  to  increase  the  stampede,'  was  my 
answer.  '  Here  are  my  papers, — look  at  them,'  at  the  same  time  pulling  them  out 
of  his  pocket.  I  replied,  '  No  time  to  examine  papers  now.  Wait  till  we  are  through 
with  this  job,  and  we  will  consider  your  case.'  He  again  implored  me  in  pitiful 
tones  to  let  him  through,  wheieiipou  I  said,  'There  is  my  commander  ;  go  to  him,' 
at  the  same  time  indicating  Colonel  Montgomery.  He  went  to  the  Colonel,  had 
some  conversation  with  him,  when  Montgomery,  disgusted  with  the  man's  coward- 
ice, raising  himself  in  his  saddle,  called  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  '  Let  that  man  go  !' 
I  did  so,  when  the  stranger  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  made  the  very  stones  of  the 
pike  fly  behind  him.  That  man  was  no  other  than  Kussell,  the  correspondent  of 
the  London  Times. 

"In  contrast  with  this  gallant  Englishman,  I  saw  a  lady  on  my  left,  sitting  in  a 
buggy,  amid  the  throng  of  soldiers,  civilians,  horses,  mules,  wagons,  ambulances, 
right  side  up  aud  wrong  side  up,  quite  calm  and  unconcerned.  The  Colonel  en- 
quired, 'Madam,  are  you  not  afraid ?'  To  which  she  replied,  'No,  Colonel,  I  feel 
perfectly  safe.'  " 

We  presume  that  the  reader  requires  no  particular  comment  on 
the  above  little  narrative.  It  ought  to  have  been  printed  as  a  note 
at  the  end  of  Mr.  Russell's  famous  "Bull  Run  Letter." 

"  1  think  General  Montgomery,  then  Colonel  Montgomery — writes 

Maior-General,  then  Lieutenant-Colonel  Robert  McAllister — should 
■^  508 


KOBERT  McAllister 

have  the  credit  of  stopping  the  stampede  at  Bull  Ran.  He  started 
for  the  battle-field  with  two  regiments  as  Brigade  commauder.  One 
regiment  left  the  field  at  Centreville,  without  orders,  leaving  the  1st 
New  Jersey  aloue,  as  you  are  aware.  The  last  conversation  I  had 
with  the  lamented  General  Kearny,  he  said  that  Montgomery  never 
received  the  praise  he  deserved  for  what  he  had  done  on  that  occa- 
sion.    Our  firm  stand  there  prevented  the  rebels  following. 

"  I  held  the  conversation  mentioned  with  Russell  myself." 

The  conduct  of  General  McAllister  demonstrates  one  fact,  that 
there  was  plenty  of  the  true  military  stuff  in  our  army  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  war,  if  there  had  only  been  some  one  at  the  head  who 
knew  how  to  use  it  to  advantage.  There  were  plenty  of  regiments 
like  his  own,  which,  with  a  Desaix's  inspiration  to  lead  them, 
could  have  made  the  first  Bull  Run  another  Marengo.  Even  the 
ensuing  night  a  Bernard  of  Lutzen,  a  Rohan  of  Rhinefelden,  or  even 
a  Santa  Anna  of  the  Mexican  War  of  Liberation,  who  liad  the  com- 
mon sense  to  appreciate  the  effect  of  an  attack  from  a  body  of  fresh 
troops  even  on  a  victorious  army  whose  nerve-forces  had  been  ex- 
hausted in  the  achievement  of  their  success,  could  have  wrested 
victory  from  defeat.  Joseph  E.  Johnston  had  the  magnanimity  to 
acknowledge  that  the  presence  and  firm  attitude  of  the  Union  reserve 
on  the  heights  of  Centreville  restrained  any  attempt  at  pursuit.  Mc- 
Allister's regiment  remained  on  the  field  all  night,  within  cannon 
shot  of  the  rebels,  and  only  withdrew  next  morning  when  dawn  re- 
vealed its  \insupported  condition. 

The  1st  New  Jersey  had  next  the  honor  to  head  the  audacious 
advance  of  Kearny's  Brigade  upon  Manassas  Junction,  a  few  months 
later.  Did  space  permit,  we  would  dwell  upon  the  graphic  account, 
by  McAllister  himself,  of  this  movement,  in  which  the  single  New 
Jersey  Brigade,  by  a  mingling  of  audacity  and  wariness  not  often 
paralleled,  imposed  upon  a  whole  army  of  the  enemy,  and  occupied 
a  position  some  ten  miles  in  advance  of  the  Union  forces,  frightening 
the  enemy  to  a  precipitate  retreat  from  his  entrenchments  at  Manassas 
Junction,  with  the  loss  of  a  considerable  quantity  of  camp  equipage 
and  seven  flags.  The  1st  New  Jersey,  the  last  to  leave  the  field  at 
Centreville,  in  1861,  was  the  firat  to  advance  on  the  enemy,  in  1862, 
and  McAllister  commanded  it  on  both  occasions. 

"We  must  be  content  with  a  rapid  summary  of  the  three  years 

that  followed,  our  space  being  limited.     During  that  time,  McAllister 

was  transferred  from  the  1st  New  Jersey  to  the  Colonelcy  of  the  11th 

509 


BOBERT     MCALLISTER. 

New  Jersey,  thence,  as  ranking  Colonel  to  the  command  of  the  First 
Brigade,  Second  Division,  Third  Corps,  to  which  his  regiment  was 
attached. 

On  the  Peninsula  it  was  not  in  the  aggressive  alone  that  McAllis- 
ter disjilayed  his  soldierly  capacity  ;  it  was  amid  the  gloom  of 
reverse  that  his  pertinacity  revealed  the  instinctive  soldier.  At 
Gaines'  Mills,  as  Lieut. -Colonel  commanding  1st  New  Jersey  Vol- 
unteers, he  made  a  splendid  fight  for  a  regiment,  and  as  such  it  was 
considered  at  the  time.  So  it  was  throughout  the  Seven  Days'  Fight 
If  there  was  flinching  elsewhere,  it  was  not  in  the  ranks  under  his 
orders. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1862,  McAllister  was  commissioned  Colonel 
of  the  11th  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  and  was  attached  to  the  1st  Brig- 
ade,* 2d  Division,  8d  Corps.  It  is  known  that  the  3d  Corps  was  so 
fought  to  pieces  in  the  Pope  campaign,  that  the  fall  of  1862  witnessed 
an  enforced  i-esting  spell  for  its  recuperation,  although  it  did  good 
service  in  guarding  all  that  was  of  importance  in  the  direction  in 
which  Pope  fought 

The  next  time  this  brave  officer  was  in  action  was  at  Fredericks- 
burg, 1st,  and  though  the  corps  to  which  he  belonged  was  not  under 
severe  tire,  it  occupied  a  very  exposed  position,  better  calculated  to 
try  the  discipline  of  troops  than  another  which  the  inexperienced 
might  consider  one  more  likely  to  put  these  qualities  to  the  highest 
test 

At  Chancellorsville,  however,  McAllister  came  out  in  all  the 
steady  light  of  those  qualities  which  make  him  a  "  representative  man." 
Never  was  a  regiment  more  exposed  than  his  own  11th  New  Jersey. 
At  one  time  it  was  all  alone  in  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  so  that  it  had 
to  show  double  front,  give  and  receive  fire  front  and  rear.  So  com- 
pletely was  it  isolated  that  it  was  given  up  for  lost,  and  had  to  blast 
its  way  back  through  obstacles  as  desperate  as  those  through  which 
the  mythical  hero  of  Bulwer's  "  Coming  Eace  "  effected  his  return  to 
the  upper  world. 

At  Gettysburg,  where  McAllister  was  wounded  in  the  left  leg 
with  a  minie  ball,  and  in  the  right  foot  w'th  a  fragment  of  a  shell,  it 

•  This  Brigade,  originally  Kearay'a,  was  uot  the  1st  New  Jersey,  "which  so  distinguished 
itself  and  suffei-ed  so  terribly  at  Bull  Run  2d ;  wliioh  Stonewall  Jackson  said  "  was  the  finest 
body  of  troops  he  ever  saw."  Brigadier-Gen.  George  W.  Taylor  was  mortally  wounded,  27th 
August,  1862,  and  died  on  the  same  day  that  General  Kearny  was  killed,  the  1st  September 
following.  Colonel  McAllister  at  this  time  was  with  the  11th  New  Jersey,  at  Fort  Marcy, 
ready  to  defend  that  point  if  the  enemy  approached  us.  A  few  days  afterwards,  he  was  assigned 
to  the  let  Brigade,  2d  Division,  3d  Corps,  and  ren:ained  there,  and  advanced  on  Fredericksburg. 

510 


ROBERT  McAllister. 

is  almost  sufficient  to  say  of  the  division  to  whicb  he  belonged  that 
it  was  fought  and  handled  by  Major-Gen.  A.  A.  Humphreys,  now 
chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  to  indicate  the  bloody  work  in  which  it 
took  part. 

In  the  minor  operations  between  the  crowning  battle  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  Mine  Run  fiasco,  McAllister  was  not  engaged.  Al- 
though slightly  wounded  on  other  occasions,  and  more  or  less  affected 
by  sickness,  this  was  the  only  period  of  the  war — ninety  days — when 
he  was  not  actively  engaged  at  the  front  At  Locust  Grove  (as 
sometimes  called),  or  Mine  Run,  his  command  made  a  good  fight, 
having  previously  behaved  very  well  at  Jacob's  Ford,  on  the  Rappa- 
hannock, where  he  was  the  first  man  to  land  under  the  fire  of  the 
enemy  ;  also  at  the  crossing  at  Kelly's  Ford. 

In  the  Wilderness,  second  day,  McAllister  was  wonderful.  Here 
he  had  two  horses  shot  under  him.  Had  he  been  invested  with  some 
of  the  deceptive  halo  which  seems  requisite  to  attract  the  attention  oi 
an  unreflecting  popujace  he  would  have  shared  with  others  the 
applause  accorded  to  what  the  French  call  chic^  that  outside  lacquei 
which  often  conceals  base  metal,  or  that  enamel  which  overlays  a 
richer  metal. 

At  the  Spotsylvania  "death-angle"  he  acted  tliesame  heroic  part 
as  at  Chancellorsville  and  the  first  Bull  Run,  and  throughout  the 
slaughter  which  again  compelled  the  consolidation  of  the  old  Sd 
Corps,  "  as  ive  understand  it"  In  all  the  ensuing  battles  of  summer  and 
autumn,  he  continued  to  merit  the  admiration  and  highest  praise  not 
only  of  his  superiors,  of  such  men  as  the  "superb  "  Hancock,  of  the 
consummate  "  pure  gold  "  Humphreys,  but  also  of  inferiors,  likewise 
of  very  many  to  whom  the  figure  and  not  the  individual  was  known. 
It  required  the  desperate  position  of  the  Boydton  Plank-Road  to 
bring  out  McAllister  in  his  true  proportions  and  compel  the  universal 
acknowledgement  of  the  sterling  metal  of  the  man  and  soldier.  Cut 
off  and  surrounded  by  the  best  troops  of  the  Confederacy,  with  a 
brigade  to  which  700  raw  recruits  had  just  been  added,  green  sol- 
diers who  had  never  fired  a  shot  in  action,  he  faced  by  the  rear  rank, 
made  light  shine  through  the  encompassing  enemy,  and  relieved  and 
saved  the  division  he  was  sent  to  support  Now  it  was  that  his  light 
could  no  longer  be  kept  under  a  bushel,  and  from  this  moment  Mc- 
Allister's virtues  received  due  acknowledgement,  if  not  commensurate 
reward.  In  the  picket  line  fight,  5th  November,  1864: ;  at  Hatcher's 
Run,  5th  February,  1865  ;  and  again  at  the  Boydton  Plank-Road,  in 

511 


BOBEBT    McALLISTEB. 

capturing  the  enemy's  picket  line  and  storming  tbeir  works,  2d 
April,  1865,  he  not  only  conquered  the  national  enemies,  but  his  own. 
These  were  all  victories  which  compelled  honor  and  praise,  which 
were  freely  bestowed  by  all.  McAllister  shone  in  the  times  when  a 
soldier  is  best  developed.  The  dark  hours  of  reverse  and  defeat 
were  to  him  the  crucibles  which  demonstrated  the  purity  of  his  metal 
by  the  test  of  fire  ;  the  dark  hours  when  danger  braved  is  but  little 
known  or  appreciated,  and  gallantry  displayed  scarcely  receives 
acknowledgment  or  record.  It  was  in  the  gloomy  days  of  Grant's 
campaign  from  the  Eapid  Anna,  amid  stifling  heat,  intense  labor,  un- 
derestimated privations,  ceaseless  fighting  and  constant  exposure,  that 
McAllister  did  the  most,  braved  the  most,  suffered  the  most.  How 
much  he  suffered  and  exposed  himself  no  general  sketch  can  make  a 
reader  appreciate  ;  generally  with  the  responsibility  of  a  Brigadier, 
sometimes  owing  to  the  melting  away  and  consolidation  of  brigades 
as  a  regimental  commander,  as  for  instance  just  after  Spottsylvania, 
and  too  often  as  neither  one  nor  the  other,  with  the  responsibility  ot 
both.  "When  the  writer  recurs  to  this  brave  man's  career,  he  cannot 
refrain  from  repeating  to  the  reader  tlie  sad  words  wrung  from  the 
old  soldiei;by  the  remembrance  of  desperate  semcc' without  proper 
acknowledgment  at  the  time  when  it  might  have  availed.  "  Often 
have  I,  then  and  there,  led  forlorn  hopes.  As  you  know,  I  never 
sent  them,  but  I  went  with  them,  not  to  victoiy,  but  to  certain 
defeat  1 " 

Colonel  McAllister  was  brevetted  Brigadier-General  for  his  glo- 
rious behavior  at  the  first  "Bull  Pen,"  as  the  soldiers  styled  the 
tremendous  fight  on  Boydton  Plank-Eoad,  27th  October,  1864,  and 
Major-General  for  meritorious  conduct  throughout  the  war. 

Two  months  from  the  date  of  the  Appomattox  surrender,  he  was 
home  in  New  Jersey,  and  his  own  histoiy  closes  with  the  simple 
statement,  copied  from  a  letter,  and  given  in  his  own  words  : 

"  Since  the  war,  I  have  been  engaged  as  General  Manager  of  the 
Ironton  Railroad  Company,  in  mining  and  shipping  ore  to  the  fur- 
naces in  Lehigh  Valley,  and  I  reside  here,  in  Allentown,  Pa." 

The  old  Cromwellian  spirit  makes  him  now  only  remarkable  for 
being  a  quiet,  industrious,  law-abiding  citizen.  God  send  us  many 
such. 

512 


==}?- 


JAMES   Pt.   POAVELL. 

BY  M.   DUFF  GORDON. 


OL.  JAMES  ROBERT  POWELL,  founder  of  the  city 
of  Birmingham,   AUibama,   was  born  on  the  7th   De- 

^^  camber,  1814,  in  Brunswick  County,  Virginia.  His 
W^^^'^  earlier  years  were  passed  in  luxury  and  ease.  The 
^^^  Powell  mansion  and  estates  were  as  widely  known  as  any 
^^  in  the  county,  for  their  broad  acres  and  lavish  hospitality. 
His  father,  Hon.  Addison  Powell,  was  the  leader  of  the  Jackson 
party,  and,  on  the  shrine  of  his  zeal  and  love  for  the  pure 
Republican  principles  of  those  days,  he  sacrificed  that  beautiful 
home  and  its  surrounding  wealth.  He  had  endorsed  too  heavily 
for  his  political  friends  in  an  hour  of  incautious  trust,  and,  pos- 
sessing the  instincts  of  that  higli  old  Virginia  honor  and  integrity, 
he  withheld  not  a  dollar,  but  saw  it  all  swept  from  his  hands, 
leaving  him  penniless  and  burdened  with  bodily  afflictions,  and 
the  care  of  a  large  family. 

In  this  hour  of  trial,  young  Powell,  then  just  entering  upon 
his  seventeenth  year,  in  the  strength  of  his  dauntless  spirit,  put 
on  the  armor,  in  which  he  was  destined  to  fight  and  win  a  brave 
battle  in  the  struggle  of  life.  He  lost  no  time  in  vain  regrets 
while  his  loved  ones  were  stranded  and  helpless  upon  the  sterile 
shores  of  poverty;  aged  parents  leaned  tenderly  and  trustfully  on 
that  boyish  arm;  younger  forms  around  the  old  hearthstone, 
whose  glowing  light  and  cheer  must  no  longer  fall  over  them  like 
a  sweet  mantle  of  domestic  security,  looked  up  lovingly  to  him 
for  support  and  protection;  and  then  and  there  he  set  about  a 
noble  endeavor,  as  sublime  in  its  quiet  heroism,  as  beautiful  in 
its  rare  devotion. 

With  the  assistance  of  a  kind  relative — Thomas   Spencer,  of 

Greensville, he  removed  the  family  to   a  small  farm,  in  the 

lower  part  of  the  county,  where,  with  the  aid  of  a  negro  man  and 

513 


JAMES    R .     POWELL. 

mule,  he  labored  steadily  during  the  day,  and  at  night  taught  his 
young  brother  and  sisters,  his  limited  means  not  allowing  him  to 
place  them  at  sohool.  His  every  exertion  was  employed  in  the 
support  and  tender  care  of  this  family.  What  a  rare  illustration 
of  filial  affection,  and  how  happily  in  after  life  Providence  has 
smiled  upon  and  rewarded  that  faithful  son  ! 

Several  years  passed  away  and  the  ambitious  heart  of  the  boy, 
filled  with  a  desire  to  better  the  condition  of  his  loved  ones,  led 
him  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  young  and  promising  State  of 
Alabama,  from  whose  fields  of  snowy  cotton  poured  forth  a  stream 
of  certain  and  increasing  wealth.  Through  the  generous  help  of 
the  same  kind  relative,  he  purchased  a  horse  and  a  genteel  suit  of 
clothes,  reserving  fifty  dollars  for  travelling  expenses,  and,  in  the 
Autumn  of  1833,  started  for  Loundsboro,  Alabama. 

Upon  his  arrival  at  his  destination,  he  had  not  only  damaged 
his  estate  by  "  horse  swapping,"  leaving  him  but  five  dollars,  but 
the  party  with  whom  he  expected  to  find  a  home  and  situation 
was  on  the  eve  of  departure  for  Mississippi.  But  the  genial  manners 
and  indomitable  will  of  the  young  man  soon  won  strong  and  true 
friends.  Before  another  year,  by  the  proffered  aid  of  his  staunch 
aud  true  friend,  the  late  Abner  McGehee,  he  was  enabled  to  lease 
the  largest  hotel  in  Montgomery,  Ala.,  and  send  to  Virginia  for 
his  parents,  who  removed  thither  in  the  Autumn  of  1834,  when 
he  united  with  his  father  in  business,  and  placed  his  sisters  at 
school. 

After  several  years'  experience  in  the  proprietorship  of  the 
hotel  at  Montgomery  and  the  thriving  town  of  Wetumpka,  Ala., 
in  both  of  which  places  he  prospered,  he  became  engaged  in  a 
serious  law  suit  for  the  recovery  of  a  considerable  sum  justly  due 
him,  but  which  he  lost,  besides  being  involved  in  heavy  costs  that 
were  disastrous  to  his  financial  prospects.  This  case  is  probably 
the  most  remarkable  in  the  Decisions  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Alabama,  and  certainly  the  most  unjust  ;  but  it  taught  him  a 
useful  lesson, — ever  to  avoid  litigation  as  far  as  possible  when  con- 
sistent with  his  rights  and  duties. 

In  1837,  he  resolved  to  venture  in  a  new  field  of  labor  and 
speculation,  where  his  restless  energies  and  administrative  abilities 
could  have  a  wider  margin  for  their  display  and  exercise.  He 
then  entered  upon  his  career  as  a  stage  and  mail  contractor,  in 

514 


JAMES    R.     POWELL. 

which  profession  he  afterward  achieved  such  distinguished  success. 
He  proceeded  to  Washington  City  to  bid  for  a  mail  contract  in 
the  South-west  Division,  but  whilst  on  the  journey  thither,  the 
coach  was  robbed  and  he  lost  his  guarantees  required  by  the  regu- 
lations of  the  Post  Office  Department.  Tlie  time  being  too  lim- 
ited in  which  to  procure  duplicate  papers,  the  Hon.  Dixon  Hall 
Lewis,  Kepresentative  from  Alabama,  and  Col.  William  R.  King, 
Senator,  proved  their  confidence  in  him  and  consideration  of  his 
situation,  by  supplying  the  requisite  security,  and  his  bid  was 
accepted. 

In  1838  he  assumed  his  new  duties,  evincing  characteristic 
zeal  and  promptitude  in  their  discharge.  The  praise  of  the  Post 
Office  Department  and  the  liberal  patronage  of  the  public  reward- 
ed him;  but  the  route  of  only  eighty  miles  was  too  limited,  and 
in  a  short  period  of  time  he  was  in  possession  of  several  ot  the 
most  important  lines  of  Georgia  and  Alabama,  which,  under  his 
skillful  management,  proved  successiul. 

In  1852,  he  purchased  the  Montgomery  and  Mobile  Daily 
Stage  Line,  with  its  mail  contract  of  thirty-six  thousand  dollars 
per  annum.  This  being  inadequate  to  transport  the  enormous 
quantity  of  mail  matter  between  New  York  and  New  Orleans, — of 
which  it  was  the  only  line  of  staging  in  this  great  mail  artery, — 
his  energy  and  diplomacy  supplied  the  remedy.  He  went  to 
Washington  city  and  had  an  interview  with  the  Post  Master- 
General,  wlio  was  so  favorably  impressed  with  his  views,  that  lie 
agreed  to  increase  the  pay  on  account  of  the  heavy  expenditures  of 
Col.  Powell,  of  over  thirty  thousand  dollars  upon  an  expiiing 
contract,  and  recommend  to  Congress  the  continuance  of  the  con- 
tract at  increased  pay  without  subjecting  this  route  to  the  pend- 
ing letting  of  contracts  in  the  South- Western  Division.  In  the 
Annual  Report  of  Post  Master-General  James  Campbell,  ac- 
companying President  Pierce's  message,  he  spoke  in  highly 
eulogistic  terms  of  Col.  Powell,  as  a  mail  contractor,  and  of  his 
signal  services  to  the  Department  in  particular  and  the  country  at 
large,  in  the  prompt  and  honorable  performance  of  his  contracts. 
His  recommendation  of  the  extension  of  this  very  responsible  and 
important  contract,  without  the  intervention  of  another  letting, 
was  agreed  to  by  Congress.  During  this  period.  Col.  Powell  was 
the  object  of  the  most  violent  opposition   on   the  part  of  other 

515 


JAMES    R.    POWELL. 

contractors,  who  controlled  ten  times  the  capital  with  which  he 
struggled  on;  but  so  complete  was  his  success  in  that  line,  and 
his  triumph  over  all  his  competitors,  that  they  were,  iinally,  only 
too  glad  to  compromise  by  either  retiring  from  the  business,  or 
entering  into  partnership  with  him. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  after  more  than  twenty  years  of 
arduous  service,  in  which  he  displayed  all  the  firmness  and  devo- 
tion of  a  trained  soldier  and  the  commanding  qualities  of  a 
general,  he  was  the  owner  of  a  large  share  in  every  stage  line  in 
Alabama  and  Mississippi,  together  with  lines  in  Georgia,  Florida, 
Louisiana  and  Texas,  and  eight  hundred  shares  in  the  Overland 
Mail  Route  to  California,  which  was  inaugurated  by  him  in  185 — , 
and  subsequently  established  by  Congress.  The  annual  pay  of 
all  the  routes  in  which  he  was  interested,  was  one  million  two 
hundred  and  forty  thousand  dollars;  and  his  interest  in  the  vast 
mail  transportation  and  staging  lines  of  the  South  and  West,  in- 
volved a  heavy  share  in  the  ownership  of  four  thousand  five 
hundred  horses  and  mules — the  largest  number  any  other  man 
ever  controlled  at  one  time  for  business  purposes,  and  quite  enough 
to  mount  a  small  army.  Among  all  his  experienced  partners,  he 
was  the  controlling  spirit,  especially  in  Washington  city,  where 
he  was  noted  as  the  most  efficient  and  reliable  of  all  the  mail 
contractors  under  the  U.  S.  Government,  and  pre-eminently  the 
professor  of  all  the  arts  of  diplomacy  and  fearless  undertaking, 
combined  with  the  loftiest  sense  of  duty. 

When  the  late  civil  war  came,  with  its  devastating  and  de- 
moralizing effects,  Col.  Powell  determined  to  dispose  of  all  his 
business  interests  then  scattered  over  the  entire  South;  but  just 
as  an  opportunity  presented  itself  for  a  release  from  his  oppressive 
cares,  he  was  urgently  requested  by  Post  Master-General  Reagan, 
of  the  Confederate  States,  to  visit  Richmond,  and  confer  with  him 
as  to  the  earliest  and  most  practical  means  of  opening  mail  com- 
munication with  the  South-west, — particularily  Texas. 

Henry  St.  George  Offutt,  first  assistant  Post  Master-General, 
and  head  of  the  Contract  Bureau,  previous  to  the  war  had  been 
officially  connected  with  the  Post  Office  Department  in 
Washington,  and  was  acquainted  with  Col.  Powell,  as  the  most 
extensive  and  energetic  mail  contractor  under  the  U.  S.  Govern- 
ment; and  he  felt  assured  that  in  the  extraordinary  zeal  and 

516 


JAMES    R.    POWELL. 

energy  of  Col.  Powell  they  should  find  a  ready  and  favorable 
solution  of  the  problem  that  had  taxed  all  the  abilities  and  efforts 
of  the  Government  so  far,  in  vain.  Frankly  they  told  him  of 
their  troubles;  the  blockade  between  Galveston  and  New  Orleans 
had  cut  off  the  regular  communication  with  Texas.  Their  pro- 
position was  to  run  a  daily  line  of  mail  stages  from  New  Iberia  on 
Bayou  Teche  to  tlie  eastern  terminus  of  the  Houston  R.  R. — a 
distance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  connecting  with  New 
Orleans  by  steamers  from  Iberia  to  Berwichs  Bay,  and  thence  via 
the  Opelousas  R.  R. —  a  dangerous  route  hourly  subjected  to  the 
attack  of  the  fleet.  Mr.  Reagan  had  advertised  twice  for  proposals 
for  the  performance  of  this  service,  but  no  pi'oposing  contractor 
offered  to  stock  the  route  sooner  than  six  months.  After  a  care- 
ful examination  of  maps  and  plans,  showing  the  topography  of 
the  country,  Col.  Powell  astonished  them  by  accepting  the  bid 
for  fifty  thousand  dollars  less  than  all  others  had  offered  to  under- 
take it  for,  and  in  forty  days  to  have  all  things  ready.  This,  in 
an  hour  when  he  had  the  Post  Office  Department  at  his  mercy  and 
the  best  opportunity  to  enrich  himself,  proved  an  example  of 
patriotism  and  integrity  in  striking  contrast  with  the  actions 
of  thousands  who,  luider  similar  circumstances,  both  North  and 
South,  piled  high  their  stores  of  extortionate  wealth,  and  sailed 
gaily  in  their  golden  argosies  over  the  bloody  billows  of  war,  deaf 
to  the  dying  moans  from  the  fields  of  carnage,  and  the  starving 
ones  at  home. 

Personally  superintending  this  gigantic  enterprise,  he  duly 
stocked  the  line  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  horses  and  mules,  and, 
in  thirty-nine  days,  arrived  at  the  terminal  point  with  seven 
thousand  pounds  of  mail  matter  that  had  been  accumulating  in  the 
New  Orleans  post  office  for  six  months.  All  remember  how  the 
press  of  that  city,  Galveston  and  Richmond,  heaped  grateful 
thanks  and  eulogies  on  his  head  for  this  relief  of  his  people  in  such 
an  hour  of  susjjense  and  anxiety. 

Running  this  route  with  success,  yet  not  without  great  peril, 
after  a  period  of  six  months  he  sold  out  his  entire  interest  in  stag- 
ing at  all  points,  and  invested  the  proceeds  in  real  estate  and 
transportation  stock  in  the  City  of  Montgomery,  Ala. 

The  late  war  turned  no  bloody  laurels  around  his  brow  ;  yet 
his  lavish  purse  prepared  many  a  comfort  for  the  volunteers.     At 

517 


JAMES    R.    POWELL. 

his  sole  expense  he  mounted  an  entire  cavalry  company  with  over 
one  hundred  horses,  costing  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  and  gave  the 
inemhers  a  large  sum  of  money  for  their  equipment.  This 
company  was  commanded  hy  his  nephew,  Col.  Warren  S. 
Reese,  whom  he  had  reared  and  educated.  Many  others,  be- 
sides public  and  private  charities,  were  the  recipients  of  his  unfail- 
ing liberality.  He  worked  silently  and  grandly  during  those  four 
dark  years  for  the  cause  of  humanity.  Every  effort  of  his  life  has 
been  to  develop  and  restore,  but  most  particularly  in  the  hour  of 
the  Soiith's  sorest  trial  and  need.  One  incident  alone  will  illus- 
trate his  devotion  to  his  people  and  his  strong  instinct  of  charity. 

Conscious  that  the  total  lack  of  a  supply  of  ice  in  the  Southern 
hospitals  was  the  cause  of  fearful  suffering,  he  took  advantage  of 
a  brief  season  of  freezing  weather  in  the  winter  of  1863  and  '64 
gatliered  a  force  of  three  hundred  men  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
wagons  and  teams,  all  at  his  own  expense,  and  worked  steadily 
three  days  and  nights,  thereby  securing  a  large  quantity  of  ice,  (for 
which  he  refused  the  handsome  sum  of  forty  thousand  dollars,) 
and  donated  it  to  the  hospitals. 

In  1866,  Col.  Powell  made  the  tour  of  Europe  ;  and  again  in 
1870  he  visited  the  classic  scenes  of  the  Old  World.  His  appre- 
ciative spirit  revelled  amid  the  sjjlendid  triumphs  of  time  and 
civilization  there  everywhere  apparent,  but  he  turned  from  all 
these  to  contemplate  the  glory  and  study  the  secret  of  England's 
greatness  and  power.  Whence  did  it  all  s})ring.?  Calmly  he 
listened  as  from  the  depths  of  dark  coal  mines  resounded  the 
blows  of  toiling  men,  while  his  eye  caught  the  glare  of  a  hundred 
furnaces.     Here  was  the  secret  of  England's  imperial  rule. 

With  this  conviction,  he  returned  to  America  to  arouse  his  own 
war-ruined  people  to  a  sense  of  the  mineral  wealth  that  lay  in 
such  abundance  at  their  very  doors. 

The  kingly  rule  of  cotton  and  the  agricultural  pursuits  of  the 
Southern  people  have  caused  them  in  a  great  measure  to  neglect 
the  true  elements  of  wealth  that  the  wisdom  of  the  Creator  and 
the  geological  jarocess  of  the  ages  have  placed  in  such  lavish  abun- 
dance around  them.  This  is  true  of  nearly  all  the  Southern 
States,  but  particularly  so  of  Alabama,  whose  deposits  of  iron 
and  coal  are  bewildering  in  their  extent  and  quantity.  The 
mineral  region  of  Central  Alabama  embraces  an  area  of  fifteen 

518 


JAMES    R.    POWELL. 

thousand  square  miles,  comprising  three  large  coal  measures, 
known  respectively  as  the  "  Coosa  Coal  Field,"  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  to  three  hundred  square  miles  ;  the  "  Cahaba  Field  "  of 
four  hundred  square  miles  ;  and  the  "Warrior  Coal  Field  "  of  not 
less  than  five  thousand  square  miles.  At  different  points  exten- 
sive deposits  of  iron  ore  exist,  chief  among  which  rises  the  famous 
"  Red  Mountain  "  between  the  "  Warrior  "  and  "  Cahaba  Coal 
Fields,"  and  extending,  in  unbroken  continuity,  ninety  miles  in 
length,  one  mile  wide,  and  three  hundred  feet  high.  The  hema- 
tic ores  are  exposed  of  an  actual  thickness,  at  various  points,  of 
fifteen,  thirty-five  and  one  hundred  feet  of  solid  ore,  which  has 
yielded,  under  divers  analyses  and  the  practical  test  of  the  furnace, 
from  58  to  60  per  cent,  of  metalic  iron.  It  has  an  original  sur- 
face formation  of  sandstone,  underlaid  by  silurian  limestone, 
which  exists  in  lavish  abundance  and  the  most  convenient  proxi- 
mity for  their  joint  utilization.  Practical  development  has  satis- 
factorily demonstrated  that  each  acre  of  this  iron  mount  will 
yield  378,000  tons  ;  an  estimate  of  the  entire  amount,  one  mile 
wide  and  ninety  miles  long,  will  produce  the  enormous  quantity 
of  twenty-two  billions  seven  hundred  and  seventy  millions  eight 
himdred  thousand  tons  ! 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  these  ores,  are  veins  of  bituminous 
coal,  from  one  to  seven  feet  iv  workable  thickness,  and  of  unsur- 
passed quality  for  the  manufacture  of  iron  ;  coke  having  been 
made  from  it  weighing  forty  pounds  to  the  bushel,  being  25  per 
cent,  over  the  standard  weight.  It  is  the  opinion  of  learned  geol- 
ogists that  the  Warrior  Coal  Field  will  aftbrd  three  million  acres 
of  easily  attainable  coal,  yielding  at  least  fifty  thousand  tons  to 
the  acre,  or  in  the  aggregate,  one  hundred  and  fifty  billion  tons. 

The  Alabama  and  Chattanooga  R.  R.  and  the  South  and  North 
Alabama  R,  R.  (a  part  of  the  Louisville  and  Great  Southern 
R.  R.  line,)  promised  access  to  this  vast  mineral  domain  hitherto 
sealed  to  the  wants  and  uses  of  the  world.  With  his  usual  fore- 
sight. Col.  Powell  saw  that  the  intersection  of  the  roads  in  Jones' 
Valley — renowned  for  its  scenery,  water,  cliiaate  (a  mean  annus! 
temperature  of  58  deg.)  and  agricultural  advant&ges,  bounded  on 
the  Southeast  by  "  Red  Mountain,"  and  on  the  Northwest  by 
the  outlying  hills  of  the  Warrior  Coal  Field — afforded  the  pro- 
per site  for  the  location  of  a  grand  manufacturing  city.     Here  he 

519 


JAMES    E.    POWELL. 

resolved  to  restore  the  fallen  fortunes  of  the  South  to  the  best  of 
his  ability,  and  place  within  her  hands  the  sceptre  of  power, 
wrought,  like  that  of  Britain,  from  Iron  and  Coal ! 

Having  selected  a  site  and  secured  titles  to  the  adjacent  pro- 
perty— a  work  which  he  performed  in  despite  of  harrassing  ob- 
stacles and  opposition  from  various  quarters  that  would  have  dis- 
heartened and  driven  from  the  field  one  of  ordinary  spirit  or  energy 
— Col.  Powell  and  his  associates  were  organized  on  the  26th  »f 
January,  1871,  under  the  corporate  name  of  the  "  Elyton  Land 
Co."  Justly  appreciating  his  rare  executive  ability,  energy  and 
integrity,  his  associates  elected  him  President,  trammeling  him 
with  no  specific  instructions  or  limitations  as  to  the  course  to  pur- 
sue other  than  to  build  the  city. 

He  at  once  engaged  actively  in  the  work,  employing  an  engi- 
neer who  began  the  survey  of  tlie  property  on  the  13th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1871  ;  contracted  for  the  manufacture  of  brick,  lime,  &c., 
&c.,  on  his  own  responsibility,  paying  the  bills  with  his  own 
money — there  being,  as  yet,  no  funds  in  the  treasury  of  the  Com- 
pany— and  prosecuted  the  work  with  such  vigor,  that  on  the  1st 
of  June,  1871,  he  was  ready  to  commence  the  sale  of  lots  in  the 
new  city,  upon  which  he  bestowed  the  name  of  "  Birmingham  " 
as  eminently  applicable  to  the  Iron  City  of  the  South. 

The  plan  adopted  by  Col.  Powell  in  selling  the  lots,  and  to 
which  he  has  strictly  adhered, — requiring  each  ptirchaser  to 
build  on  the  lot  purchased,  improvements  of  specified  character  or 
value,  within  a  definitely  specified  time, — although  violently  op- 
posed in  the  beginning  by  some  of  his  associates,  and  many  per- 
sons who  merely  wished  to  speculate,  soon  convinced  all  interested 
of  its  justice  and  the  far-sighted  policy  and  wisdom  which  dic- 
tated it,  and  resulted,  as  he  intended  and  insisted  it  would  do,  in 
securing  a  class  of  population  equal  to  any  in  the  State,  and  a 
style  of  architecture  that  would  be  creditable  to  cities  of  far  greater 
age  and  size. 

The  first  house  was  completed  on  the  29th  of  August,  1871, 
and  on  the  19th  of  December  following,  the  place  had  grown  to 
such  importance  that  its  citizens  asked  and  received  from  the 
Legislature  of  the  State,  a  charter  as  a  city  with  full  municipal 
powers.  Thus,  in  a  naked  corn-field,  in  the  incredible  short  time 
of  three  months  and  twenty  days,  a  city  was  built,  which  has  no 

580 


JAMES    K.     POWELL. 

peer  in  the  world  in  the  rapidity  of  its  growth,  combined  with  the 
character  of  its  population  and  buildings. 

Previous  to  this  he  had  authorized  the  grading  of  the  streets 
and  avenues,  drainage  of  the  low  grounds,  transplanting  of  shade 
trees,  building  a  side-track  to  the  Alabama  and  Chattanooga  R.  R. 
and  similar  improvements  for  the  public  good,  using  his  own  means 
to  pay  this  cost.  All  this  he  accomplished  when  there  was  no 
communication  with  other  sections  of  the  country  save  by  the 
Alabama  and  Chattanooga  R.  R.  to  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  and 
Meridian,  Mississippi,  or  by  private  conveyance  fifteen  miles 
to  the  South  and  Nortli  Alabama  R.  R.,  which  was  only  com- 
pleted from  Montgomery  to  Decatur,  via  Birmingham,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1872. 

Convincing  evidence  of  the  business  talents  of  Col.  Powell  is 
shown  in  the  liberal  policy  adopted  by  him  toward  the  various 
railroads  centering  at  this  point.  To  the  four  roads  first  con- 
necting with  Birmingham  he  has  given  a  tract  of  land  in  the 
centre  of  the  city,  nearly  a  mile  in  length,  and  one  thousand  feet 
wide,  being  five  hundred  feet  on  either  side  of  the  railroad,  running 
in  a  straiglit  line  through  the  centre  of  the  Company's  jjroperty, 
comprising  about  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  the  most  eligible 
and  valuable  land  owned  by  the  Company,  on  which  to  locate 
shops,  depots,  &c.,  &c.,  thus  insuring  the  making  of  Birmingham 
the  terminus  or  relay  station  of  all  the  railroads  centering  there. 
The  principal  lines  now  completed  are  the  Alabama  and  Chatta- 
nooga R.  R.,  an  important  link  of  the  grand  mterior  line  of  com- 
munication between  New  York  and  New  Orleans,  and  the  South 
and  North  Alabama  R.  R.,  of  the  Louisville  and  Great  Southern 
R.  R.  Line,  the  most  important  and  direct  road  connecting  the 
cotton  and  food-producing  States,  and  forming  a  short  and  contin- 
uous route  from  Louisville  on  the  Ohio,  to  Mobile  and  Pensacola. 

The  other  railways  in  course  of  construction  are  the  Georgia 
Western  R.  R.  to  Birmingham,  and  its  extension  westward  to  a 
connection  with  the  Great  Southern  Trans-Continental  Railway, 
at  Marshall,  Texas  ;  the  Savannah  and  Memphis  R.  R.  allied 
with  the  Georgia  and  South  Atlantic  system  of  railroads  at 
Opelika,  Alabama,  northwesterly  through  Birmingham  to  deep 
water  navigation  on  the  Tennessee  River  at  Pittsburgh  Landing, 
and  connecting  with   the   Memphis    and   Charleston  R.   R.    at 

521 


JAMES    R .    POWELL. 

Corinth,  Mississippi  ;  the  Mobile  and  Alabama  Grand  Trunk 
Line,  permeatinq-  a  fine  cotton  and  timber  region  in  the  Southern 
part,  and  reaching  in  a  North-eastern  direction  the  heart  of  the 
mineral  region  at  Birmingham;  (This  latter  and  important  rail- 
road will  be  able  to  supply  the  foundries  and  machine  shops  of  Mo- 
bile with  a  plentiful  supply  of  iron,  and  also  that  most  valuable  of 
"city  food,"  coal;)  and  the  Ashby  branch  of  the  Selma,  Kome  and 
Dalton  R.  R.,  making  the  shortest  and  at  present  the  most  prac- 
ticable route  from  the  iron  and  coal  mines  of  Alabama  to  the 
Gulf,  forming  almost  an  air  line  from  Birmingham  to  Pensacola. 

These  roads  are  all  making  very  favorable  progress  and  will 
combine  to  render  Birmingham  the  most  important  railroad  centre 
in  the  State,  if  not  in  the  whole  South. 

In  dealing  with  all  mechanical  enterprises,  Col.  Powell  has 
manifested  the  most  liberal  spirit,  fuinishing  suitable  sites  on 
nominal  terms,  and  often  advancing  money  when  necessary  to  as- 
sist parties  in  the  prosecution  of  their  work.  To  the  various  re- 
ligious denominations  he  generously  donated  lots  selected  by  them- 
selves, for  church  and  school  purposes.  To  the  County  he  has 
presented  the  most  desirable  location  for  court-house  and  other 
buildings,  which,  by  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  County,  are 
located  in  Birmingham. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1872,  on  behalf  of  the  Company,  and  at 
great  personal  financial  responsibility,  he  undertook  the  heavy 
task,  at  a  cost  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  to  supply  the 
city  with  water-works  which  would  afford  an  unlimited  quantity 
of  water  for  domestic  use,  as  well  as  every  department  of  tiade 
and  manufacture.  They  were  completed  in  May,  1873.  The 
magnificent  reservoir,  so  constructed  as  to  be  easily  enlaiged,  is 
located  on  a  hill  overlooking  and  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the 
city,  the  Iron  Mountain,  and  the  charming  landscape  of  the 
valley.  It  has  a  capacity  of  'one  million  gallons,  and  can  ,be 
filled  every  twenty-four  hours  by  a  forty  horse  power  engine 
stationed  at  Village  Creek,  from  whence  the  water  is  taken  in. 
2)ipes  a  distance  of  five  thousand  one  hundred  feet  to  the  reser- 
voir, which  has  an  elevation  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet 
above  the  engine-house,  while  the  elevation  of  the  reservoir  above 
the  railroad  track  in  Birmingham  is  one  bundled  and  twenty- 
five  feet.     From  the  reservoir  the   water  is  conveyed  in  pipes  eight 

522 


JAMES    R.    POWELL. 

inches  in  diameter  to  the  centre  of  the  city,  a  distance  of  six 
thousand  two  hundred  feet.  No  other  city  of  its  age  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  world  can  boast  so  grand  a  work. 

At  the  office  of  the  Elyton  Land  Company  Col.  Powell  has 
collected  a  rare  and  valuable  cabinet  of  the  mineral  and  other 
productions  of  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Birmingham.  Here  may 
be  seen  some  seventy-five  sjiecimens  of  ores  of  iron,  lead  and  an- 
timony; coals,  fire-clays,  pure  white  sandstone  perfectly  fire-proof ; 
galena  yielding  80  per  cent,  of  lead  ;  limestone  producing  98 
per  cent,  of  snowy  white  lime  ;  several  qualities  of  marble  ;  build- 
ing stones  of  great  excellence,  and  many  others.  The  iron  ore 
and  limestone  are  found  within  the  corporate  limits  of  the  city, 
and  the  other  specimens  from  two  to  fifteen  miles  distant  on  the 
various  railroad  lines.  They  afford  a  convincing  and  practical  il- 
lustration of  the  wonderful  and  exhaustless  mineral  resources  of 
that  highly  favored  region. 

At  the  present,  though  scarcely  three  years  have  passed  since 
the  broad  avenues  and  business  streets  of  that  marvellous  young- 
city  were  but  the  expanse  of  a  common  corn-field,  it  contains  a 
permanent  and  prosperous  population  of  over  five  thousand  ;  a 
bank  whose  proportions  of  iron  and  stone,  four  stories  high,  and 
surmounttd  by  a  mansard  roof,  would  attract  attention  in  any 
city,  and  it  will  soon  have  a  first-class  union  passenger  depot.  It 
also  has  more  than  two  hundred  stores  ;  block  after  block  of  brick 
and  stone  buildings  two  to  four  stories  in  height;  over  six  hundred 
residences,  many  of  them  in  the  most  modern  and  fashionable  style 
of  architecture,  and  all  chaste  and  neat ;  six  churches  ;  several 
first-class  hotels  and  boarding-houses  ;  several  foundries,  lumber, 
grist  and  flouring  mills  ;  fourteen  brick  kilns  ;  railroad  machine 
shops  ;  a  large  car  manufactory  ;  sash,  door  and  blind  factories  ; 
planing  mills  ;  a  chair  and  bucket  factory  ;  three  newspapers  ; 
two  fire  companies  ;  a  beautiful  and  commodious  opera  house  ;  a 
newly  finished  jail  building,  considered  the  finest  in  the  State,  and 
costing  a  large  sum  ;  a  splendid  court  house  in  course  of  con- 
struction, costing  about  forty  thousand  dollars  ;  a  dancing  hall  in 
the  suburbs  of  the  city,  constructed  of  wood  and  glass,  one  hun- 
dred feet  square  ;  first-class  bath  houses,  &c.  Bible,  temperance 
and  other  societies  and  orders  that  indicate  a  settled  state  of 
affairs  and  a  Christian  people,  are  in  a  flourishing  condition  ;  also 

523 


JAMES    R.     POWELL. 

good  schools.  A  Catholic  convent  will  doubtless  be  located  here  ; 
while  indications  from  high  authority  point  to  it  as  the  future  seat 
of  the  Episcopal  Bishopric  of  Alabama.  The  press  and  people 
of  the  State  are  almost  unanimous  in  their  determination  to  make 
it  before  many  years  the  capital  of  the  State,  and  for  this  purpose 
a  large  tract  in  the  most  desirable  part  of  the  city  has  been  re- 
served. 

But  the  crowning  glory  of  tlie  young  city  is  its  free  school,  whose 
large  and  commodious  building  with  all  modern  improvements,, 
(having  for  its  principal  one  of  the  most  noted  and  successful 
teachers  iu  the  State,  assisted  by  a  cor])S  of  accomplished  men  and 
women),  opened  with  three  hundred  pupils,  and  whose  progress- 
has  been  all  that  the  most  ardent  advocate  of  free-school  educa- 
tion could  desire.  This,  as  much  as  any  other  institution,  owes  its 
existence  to  Col.  Powell,  who  encouraged  it  in  every  moral  and 
material  way,  besides  donating  his  entire  salary  as  Mayor  to  it. 
The  society  of  the  city  is  refined,  cultivated  and  enterprising  to  a 
marked  degree  ;  its  merchants,  sustained  by  the  fine  agricultural 
and  manufacturing  region  surrounding  it,  ship  goods  by  wholesale 
to  parties  who  formerly  traded  at  Memphis,  New  Orleans  and 
Mobile.  Immense  iron  works  are  built  in  various  directions  ;  one 
especially,  only  six  miles  distant,  known  as  "  Ironton,"  involving  a 
capital  of  one  million  dollars,  and  possessing  a  capacity  of  fifty 
tons  of  metal  a  day.  The  erection  of  a  very  large  rolling  mill,  is 
in  contemplation,  also  an  extensive  nail  factory,  and  the  Louisville 
and  Great  Southern  R.  R. — the  wealthiest  railroad  corporation  in 
the  South — will  soon  erect  an  enormous  furnace  and  rolling  mill 
for  the  manufacture  of  railroad  iron,  in  the  corporate  limits  of  the 
city.  As  the  "  El  Dorado ''  of  iron  masters,  one  daily  meets  there 
the  representative  men  of  mining  and  manufacturing  interests 
from  England,  Wales,  and  all  parts  of  our  Continent,  many  of 
whom  have  sought  and  made  heavy  investments  of  capital  there — 
amongst  others  the  Thomas'  of  Pennsylvania,  Hillmans  of  Ten- 
nessee, and  Woodwards  of  Wheeling,  Va.,  the  owners  of  the 
largest  nail  factory  in  the  world.  Outside  of  its  mineral  wealth 
and  advantages,  there  is  no  better  timber  and  farming  lands  and 
water  power  to  be  found,  inviting  the  thrifty  farmer  and  industri- 
ous mechanic. 

In  January,  1873,  at  the  uigent  solicitation  of  the  most  sub- 

5i4 


JAMES    R.     POWELL. 

stantial  citizens,  Col.  Powell  accepted  the  Mayoralty,  to  which  he 
was  elected  by  an  overwhelming  majority.  The  pressing  duties 
of  his  oflSce  as  President  of  the  Elyton  Land  Co.  allowed  him 
but  little  time  for  aught  else  ;  but  the  hour  had  come  when  the 
fate  of  Birmingham  for  good  or  evil,  must  be  decided,  and  the 
community  knew  full  well  the  one  man  capable  of  settling  the 
matter  at  once  and  forever.  Certain  parties  were  striving  to  gain 
the  ascendancy,  and  scheming  adventurers  had  attempted  to  cloud 
the  bright  morning  of  that  fair  young  city  with  the  fearful  dissen- 
sions of  race  and  politics.  Kich  and  poor  alike  signed  a  petition 
urging  him  to  accept  the  office;  and  conscious  of  his  duty  to  them 
he  issued  a  card  to  the  voters,  in  which  he  plainly  stated  the  situ- 
ation and  the  inevitable  results  ;  he  told  them  he  cared  nothing 
for  the  pecuniary  pay,  which  should  be  applied  to  the  schools  ;  he 
pointed  them  to  the  down-trodden  cities  of  the  South  as  a  terrible 
lesson  ;  he  said  the  eyes  of  many  throughout  the  world  were  upon 
them,  and  men  of  capital,  brains  and  energy  from  all  quarters 
were  seeking  a  home  among  them  ;  that  the  weary  South  turned 
to  it  yearningly  as  the  one  spot  where  the  idle  and  vagraut  should 
never  rule  the  virtuous  and  industrious  ;  that  the  energetic, 
thrifty  Xortherner  must  not  submit  to  such,  and  the  hone.?t,  hard- 
working colored  man  should  never  sacrifice  his  hopes  and  earnings 
to  the  greed  of  worthless  adventurers  of  both  races  !  Defiantly 
he  told  the  vicious  that  he  neither  feared  nor  respected  them,  but 
that  if  BuTningham  be  afliicted  with  such  a  fate  as  that  then  im- 
pending, sorrowfully  but  surely,  he  would  depart  from  it  forever. 
To  some  this  appeal  sounded  like  the  pleading  of  an  earnest,  lov- 
ing parent ;  to  others  it  rang  loud  and  clear  like  a  bugle-call  to 
battle  ;  the  Southerner  saw  the  field  cleared  of  his  direct  trouble  ; 
the  Xortherner  saw  security  for  himself  and  family,  and  the  strug- 
gling colored  man  saw  protection  and  peace  I 

This  ''card"  increased  the  already  wide  reputation  of  Col. 
Powell  ;  it  was  copied  extensively  and  commented  upon  by  the 
press,  Xorth  and  South,  and  won  high  lespect  for  his  indepen- 
dence of  character  and  lofty  devotion  to  his  principles.  His  ad- 
ministration has  since  confirmed  the  wisdom  of  the  citizens  in  their 
choice. 

Col.  Powell  has  never  devoted  much  time  to  politics  ;  the  first 
office  he  ever  held  was  that  of  Sheriff  of  Coosa  County,  Alabama, 

o'2o 


JAMES    K.     POWELL. 

ia  which  his  conduct  jiistifitd  public  confidence.  He  afterward 
represented  that  influential  and  wealthy  county  in  both  branches 
of  the  General  Assembly,  exercising  there  a  commanding  influence. 
Whilst  serving  his  State,  he  was  entrusted  with  the  passage 
through  Congress  of  a  bill  to  pay  the  interest  due  the  State  of 
Alabama  upon  the  two  and  three  per  cent,  fund,  so  long  withheld 
by  the  United  States  Government,  and  which  was  intended  to 
furnish  a  connection  by  railroad  between  the  navigable  waters  of 
Mobile  Bay  and  those  of  the  Tennessee  River,  also  the  States  of 
Mississippi  and  Georgia  through  the  State  of  Alabama.  This  he 
succeeded  in  securing,  and  the  "  South  and  North  Alabama 
R.  R."  became  the  chief  beneficiary  of  the  act.  Of  that  railroad 
he  subsequently  became  a  leading  and  influential  director. 

The  confidence  reposed  in,  and  the  affection  manifested  for  him 
by  the  citizens  of  Birmingham  is  singularly  touching  ;  he  is  their 
friend,  leader  and  counsellor  in  every  enterprise,  and  they  readily 
support  any  public  measure  advocated  by  him,  almost  without 
question,  knowing  from  his  course  in  the  past  that  what  he  pro- 
poses is  for  their  mutual  good.  He  is  generally  known,  not  only 
in  his  city,  but  all  over  the  South,  as  the  "  Duke  of  Birmingham," 
a  title  appropriately  given  him  because  of  his  immense  wealth, 
dignity,  royal  undertakings  and  lavish  hospitality. 

Recently  his  fellow  citizens  presented  him  with  a  costly,  suit- 
able and  beautiful  testimonial  of  their  esteem  in  the  shape  of  a 
magnificent  knife,  costing  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  It  is 
about  four  inches  in  length,  contains  eleven  blades  of  steel  and 
one  of  silver,  between  scales  of  pearl  mounted  in  pure  gold.  Ujjon 
one  side  is  the  monogram  of  Col.  Powell,  in  jet,  opal  and  enamel, 
upon  a  shield  surmounted  by  an  eagle  ;  while  beneath,  surround- 
ed by  foilage,  is  another  shield  bearing  the  following  inscription  : 
"  Presented  to  Col.  James  R.  Powell,  the  founder  of  the  City  of 
Birmingham,  America,  by  its  citizens."  On  the  reverse  scale  is 
the  crest  (a  mural  crown)  with  shield  of  Birmingham,  England, 
in  gold  and  enamel,  surmounting  the  Caduceus  of  Mercury,  en- 
wreathed  with  foliage,  in  which  the  rod  signifies  power,  the  ser- 
pent wisdom,  and  both,  the  triumph  of  commercial  enterprise. 
The  eagle  symbolizes  the  foresight  of  the  famous  founder  of  Bir- 
mingham, and  the  noble  aspirations  of  its  citizen.  To  the  manu- 
facture of  this  knife  every  quarter  of  the  globe  has  been  made  trib- 

526 


JAMES    E .    POWELL. 

utary  ;  the  gold  is  from  Australia  ;  the  silver  from  Peru  ;  the 
mother  of  pearl  from  Africa,  and  the  steel  from  the  m  umtains  of 
Alabama,  while  the  chaste  design  of  a  French  artist  has  been  exe- 
cuted by  a  skillful  British  workman  in  a  leading  establishment  of 
Birmino;ham.  England. 

During  the  summer  of  1873,  when  that  fearful  scourge,  cholera, 
visited  his  city,  and  the  multitude  fled  appalled,  and  there  were 
left;  scarce  enough  to  minister  the  hist  sad  rites  to  the  dying  and 
the  dead,  he  remained  at  his  post,  guarded  with  sleepless  vigi- 
lance the  safety  of  the  place,  and,  in  the  face  of  the  angel  of  death 
in  her  most  sudden  and  awful  form,  cheered  the  living,  provided 
out  of  his  own  means  for  the  heli)less,  and  comforted  the  dying. 
The  press  of  the  South  has  heaped  glowing  eulogiuras  upon  his 
name  for  such  rare  heroism,  self-sacrifice  and  devotion  as  he  there 
exhibited  ;  but  only  the  pitying  angels  possess  the  full  and  beau- 
tiful memorial  of  his  deeds. 

Though  prudently  avoiding  politics,  and  wholly  devoted  to  the 
development  of  the  material  resources  of  Alabama,  his  executive 
,  ability,  firmness  of  character,  and  irreproachable  integrity  are  so 
well  known,  that  the  best  people  of  the  State  in  1873  called  on 
him,  through  the  leading  journals,  to  become  a  candidate  for 
Grovernor.  Greatly  to  their  regret,  he  declined  in  a  letter  replete 
with  good  sense  and  discretion,  yet  decided  in  determination 
neither  to  seek  nor  accept  any  public  office,  assuring  them  that  he 
saw  no  means  of  escape  from  the  political  woes  of  Alabama,  save 
through  the  channels  of  industry  and  emigration.  Had  he  ac- 
cepl;ed  such  nomination,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe,  that  the 
honest  Republicans  would  have  united  with  the  Democratic  party 
in  elevating  him,  by  an  overwhelming  vote,  to  a  position  he  could 
have  filled  with  so  much  honor,  dignity  and  usefulness. 

The  Press  Association  of  the  State  of  Alabama  during  its  Con- 
vention in  the  City  of  Birmingham,  in  1873,  extended  an  invita- 
tion to  the  Press  Association  of  the  State  of  New  York  to  visit 
Alabama  as  their  guests,  and  Col.  Powell  at  the  same  time  ten- 
dered them  the  hospitalities  of  the  city.  Early  in  the  month  of 
May,  having  received  notification  that  some  seventy  "members  of 
the  N.  Y.  State  Editorial  Association  were  preparing  to  accept 
that  invitation,  Col.  Powell  proceeded  to  the  city  of  Louisville, 
Ky.,  to  meet  and  escort  them  to  Alabama — the  Louisville  and 

527 


JAMES    R .     POWELL. 

Great  Southern  Kailroad  having  generously  placed  several  palace 
cars  at  their  disposal.  Col.  Powell  conducted  them  to  Birmingham, 
where  every  hospitality  and  courtesy  were  extended  them.  From 
Birmingham  he  accompanied  them  all  over  the  State,  and  through 
Georgia,  Tennessee  and  Virginia,  as  far  as  Washington  City,  on 
their  return  home.  Bearing  in  his  hands  the  olive  branch  of 
peace,  he  simply  asked  those  Northern  editors  to  tell  the  world  of 
the  matchless  mineral  resources  of  Alabama,  and  the  kindly 
hearts  of  the  people  they  met.  By  this  act  he  not  only  revealed 
his  own  generous,  manly  nature,  not  only  performed  a  work  of 
o-reat  value  to  Birmingham  and  other  places  in  the  South,  but  one 
of  great  moral  effect  and  benefit,  for  never  before  had  such  a  num- 
ber of  intelligent  Northern  men  so  fair  an  opportunity  of  studying 
the  South,  its  soil,  climate,  general  resources  and  people  ;  and  the 
result  of  this  visit  has  been  the  free  expression  of  the  kindliest 
sentiments,  accompanied  always  with  a  feeling  tribute  to  Col. 
Powell.  It  is  thus  that  he  builds  up  the  strength  of  the  South  at 
homo  and  abroad. 

Though  o-enerous  in  his  contributions  to  all  denominations.  Col. 
Powell  never  connected  himself  directly  with  any  church  until  the 
winter  of  1874,  when  he  was  confirmed  in  the  Episcopal  Church 
by  Bishop  Wilmer.  This,  the  chosen  faith  of  his  wife  and  ances- 
try, has  thus  received  a  most  desirable  acquisition,  and  the  noble 
career  of  Col.  Powell  is  crowned  with  the  unfading  hope  of  a  Chris- 
tian. That  he  will  prove  as  consistent  a  worker  for  the  spiritual 
interests  of  his  people  and  city  as  he  has  been  a  faithful  friend 
and  guardian  of  their  worldly  interests,  no  one  who  knows  and 
appreciates  him  can  doubt. 

Perhaps  in  no  phase  of  his  varied  career  has  he  given  his  race 
and  generation  a  nobler  lesson  than  in  his  affectionate  and  liberal 
ministrations  to  his  family.  The  story  of  his  early  years  illustrates 
this  unselfish  devotion,  and  in  addition  to  those  cares,  he  main- 
tained and  educated  the  families  of  all  his  sisters,  four  in  number. 

Previous  to  the  war,  Col.  Powell  was  united  in  marriage  to  a 
Southern  lady  of  rare  dignity  and  intellectual  cultivation,  which 
eminently  qualify  her  to  be  the  companion  of  so  notable  a  man, 
and  for  the  discharge  of  those  hospitalities  which  rendered  their 
eleo-ant  home  in  Montgomery  the  resort  of  the  leaders  of  the  Con- 
federate government,  and  of  all  distmguished  strangers  sojourning 

528 


JAMES    R.    POWELL. 

there  during  the  war.  A  residence  of  several  years  en  the  Con- 
tinent of  Europe — where  their  only  child,  a  daughter,  is  pursuing 
her  education — surrounded  with  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries  at 
the  command  of  vast  wealth,  and  the  entree  into  the  most  elegant 
circles  of  society,  can  but  serve  to  increase  her  merits  for  the  ex- 
alted honors  awaiting  her  at  home. 

Col.  Powell's  personal  appearance  is  very  striking  ;  his  form  is 
well  proportioned,  somewhat  above  the  average  height,  and  he 
bears  himself  with  a  dignified  and  graceful  carriage  ;  his  features 
are  clearly  outlined,  and  partake  rather  of  the  Roman  cast  ;  a 
temperate  and  energetic  life  have  left  few  wrinkles  on  his  face, 
over  which  the  rosy  glow  of  health  lingers  ;  the  clear  eyes  sparkle 
with  the  enthusiasm  of  youth  and  a  wealth  of  snowy  hair  crowns 
his  massive  brow.  His  character  is  moral,  grave,  sublime  ;  his 
manners  in  society  are  as  genial  and  pleasant,  as  they  are  marked 
with  courteous  firmness  and  decision  in  business  intercourse  ;  in 
the  largest  throng  he  has  a  kind  word  for  every  one,  his  easy  flow 
of  language  enabling  him  to  entertain  all  who  enter  his  presence  ; 
he  neither  becomes  calmly  morosive  nor  wildly  enthusiastic  ;  but 
his  conversations  on  every  theme  are  an  index  to  the  practical  suc- 
cess of  his  life — he  means  what  he  says,  and  performs  what  he  un- 
dertakes. Whilst  being  the  incarnation  of  industry,  he  pays  the 
strictest  attention  to  the  pleasant  amenities  and  demands  of  social 
refinement.  In  his  home,  and  at  his  table,  he  illustrates  and  per- 
petuates the  famed  hospitality  of  his  native  South.  He  is  not 
only  the  friend  of  the  struggling  and  ambitious,  but  the  patron  of 
science,  art  and  literature,  and  the  liberal  supporter  of  the  press, 
which  he  sensibly  regards  as  the  power  that  shapes  and  controls 
public  opinion,  and  the  lever  that  moves  the  world. 

The  key  to  his  remarkable  success  in  life  is  found  in  his  quick 
and  full  comprehension  of  every  subject  presented  to  him  ;  in  his 
well-founded  confidence  in  his  own  ability  to  cope  with  "any  diffi- 
culty, and  provide  for  every  emergency  that  may  arise ;  in  his 
scrupulous  care  to  perform  every  obligation  assumed  by  him,  and 
in  his  knowledge  of  human  nature,  amounting  almost  to  an  in- 
spiration, which,  allied  to  a  calm  and  unfaltering  judgment, 
enables  him,  in  selecting  his  subordinates,  to  "  put  the  right  man 
in  the  right  place,"  infusing  them  with  his  own  remarkable  will, 
zeal  and  energy. 

529 


JAMES    R.     POWELL. 


In  the  Nerth  he  is  regardfed  as  a  phenomenon.  In  the  South  he 
is  hailed  as  a  revelation.  The  former  see  in  him  the  leader  of  the 
industrial,  commercial  and  progressive  revolution,  resulting  m 
peace,  prosperity  and  civilization  ;  one  bearing  in  his  hands  the 
banners  of  that  mighty  army  who,  following  him  eagerly,  achieves 
more  useful  and  brilliant  victories  for  the  nation  than  an  hundred 
civil  and  foreign  wars  could  accomplish  ;  one  who  casts  off  the 
shackles  of  politics  and  the  oppressive  sway  of  king  cotton,  and 
strikes  for  the  empire  of  manufacture,  and  with  chivalrous  honor 
freely  gives  to  the  toiling  sons  of  every  race  and  clime  an  equal 
chance  in  the  struggle  for  comfort  and  independence  ;  who  gathers 
the  implements  of  labor  with  which  the  irresistable  North  con- 
quered and  populated  the  Western  wilds,  and  with  them  develops 
and  enriches  the  South. 

The  South  honors  him  as  one  who  disdains  the  vanities  and 
luxuries  of  wealth,  to  toil  for  and  share  his  fortune  with  her  in 
her  hour  of  poverty  and  gloom.  He  has  practically  revealed  to 
her  the  hidden  jewels  in  the  Casket  of  the  Ages  ;  he  has  striven 
throuo-h  weary  days  and  nights  to  lift  her  up  from  the  ashes  of 
o-rief,  to  rescue  her  from  the  sweeping  waters  of  desolation 
and  restore  her  to  a  queenly  position  among  the  sisterhood  of 
States.  He  has  opened  a  field  of  labor  and  profit  for  thousands 
of  her  children,  who  otherwise  must  seek  homes  far  from  her 
shrines  and  memories.  He  has  stretched  his  hands  across  the 
"  bloody  chasm,"  and  given  a  generous  welcome  to  the  people  of 
the  North  who  cast  their  lot  where  the  richest  ores  of  earth  await 
their  sturdy  strokes  to  be  converted  into  gold  :  where  there  is 
iron  to  clothe  the  fleets  of  the  world,  to  lay  the  tracks  of  its 
railroads,  and  cast  its  material  of  war  and  peace  !  The  memory 
of  such  a  man  must  be  enduring  ;  his  work  will  stand  as  a  noble 
record  for  all  time. 


530 


i._,^-. 


"^■^^sg;~«S5^ 


WALTER  BROOKS  ROBERTS, 


WALTER  BROOKS  ROBERTS  was  born  in 
jL'/ll  Moreau,  Saratoga  County,  New  York,  on  the  15th 
^^  day  of  May,  1823.  His  early  years  were  spent  under 
the  paternal  roof,  his  winters  at  a  district  school,  and 
his  summers  in  labors  upon  the  farm.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
<t^  teen  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  a  banking  office  in  the  city 
of  Albany,  N.  Y.  He  held  this  position  hut  a  few  months,  how- 
ever, severe  illness  compelling  him  to  return  to  his  father's  house, 
where  he  remained  until  his  health  was  fully  restored. 

In  the  summer  of  1841,  he  entered  the  Academy  at  Evans 
Mills,  in  Jefferson  County,  New  York,  with  the  determination  to 
qualify  himself  as  a  teacher.  A  few  months  later  he  took  charge 
of  a  district  school,  in  the  town  of  Northumberland,  in  his  native 
county,  at  a  salary  of  $11  per  month.  His  success  in  this  re- 
sponsible calling  was  marked  and  gratifying,  not  alone  to  young 
Roberts,  but  to  all  who  knew  him.  The  following  four  winters 
were  devoted  to  school  teaching,  and  the  summer  vacations  to 
the  study  of  mathematics  at  the  Glens  Falls  Academy,  and  me- 
dicine, with  Dr.  Sheldon,  of  Glens  Falls,  N.  Y.  Two  years  of 
subsequent  study  of  medicine,  and  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
dental  profession,  acquiring  a  thorough  knowledge  of  it,  in  all  its 
delicate  and  important  branches. 

During  the  summer  of  1845,  with  an  ample  outfit  for  the  prac- 
tice of  his  new  art,  he  traveled  through  New  Hampshire  a  few 
months,  visiting  Meredith,  New  Hampton,  Holderness,  &c.,  win- 
ning golden  opinions  for  skill  and  superior  knowledge  of  his  pro- 
fession. Closing  up  his  business  affairs  in  New  Hampshire,  he 
returned  to  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  to  establish  himself  permanently 
in  the  business  of  dentistry.  Here  misfortune  overtook  him,  for 
he   was   seized   with   a   violent   illness — typhoid   fever — and  for 

531 


WALTER  BROOKS  ROBERTS. 

nearly  five  months  his  life  was  in  imminent  danger.  Although 
among  strangers,  he  yet  found  friends,  who,  through  all  the  weary 
days,  weeks  and  months  ot  his  helplessness,  watched  and  waited 
with  the  utmost  kindness  and  devotion.  Passing  the  relapses  of 
his  serious  illness,  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs,  &c.,  he  finally  re- 
gained health  and  strength  sufficient  to  return  to  his  professional 
labors,  and  in  1849,  he  opened  a  dental  office  in  connection  with 
Dr.  0.  H.  Roberts,  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  Less  than  a  year's 
confinement  to  practice,  which  grew  rapidly  upon  his  hands, 
brought  on  an  attack  of  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs,  and  he  promptly 
determined  upon  a  sea  voyage  for  the  benefit  of  his  declining 
health.  In  February,  1850,  he  sailed  for  the  West  Indies,  spend- 
ing a  month  or  more  upon  the  Island  of  Cuba,  then  a  great  resort 
for  invalids  with  pulmonary  diseases.  Returning  home  by  way  of 
New  Orleans,  Cincinnati  and  Washington  City,  in  the  late  sum- 
mer months  of  1850,  he  soon  after  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the 
Poughkeepsie  dental  enterprise,  and  continued  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  many  of  the  principal  towns  of  Dutchess  County, 
taking  healthful  out-door  exercise,  and  employing  such  other 
means  as  were  at  his  disposal,  for  strengthening  and  developing 
a  ruo-^ed  manhood,  since  vouchsafed  to  him. 

In  1853,  Dr.  Roberts,  with  a  view  to  entering  into  mercantile 
pursuits,  visited  Nicaragua,  Central  America,  and  after  a  careful 
survey  and  examination  of  the  country,  its  products,  &c.,  decided 
to  engage  in  the  purchase  and  shipment  of  deerskins  and  cattle 
hides.  Returning  home,  a  company  was  shortly  after  organized, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Churchill,  Roberts,  Mills  &  Co.,  of  which 
he  was  one  of  the  principal  partners  and  business  managers.  The 
partnership  formed,  agents  were  dispatched  to  Grenada  with  ample 
means  for  the  purchase  and  shipment  of  the  commodities  which 
formed  the  basis  of  this  new  commercial  enterprise.  In  a  very 
short  time  a  large  and  lucrative  business  was  establishtd,  and  au 
unbounded  credit  given  the  firm.  Its  drafts,  letters  of  credit,  &c., 
were  termed  "  gilt-edged,"  and  were  preferred,  and  commanded  a 
r.eadier  sale  in  commercial  circles  than  any  house  in  Central 
America. 

After  the  successful  establishment  of  this  Nicaragua  enterprise, 
he  ao-ain  turned  his  atteiilinn  to  his  profession,  and  in  connection 
with  his  brother.  Col.  E.  A.  L.  Roberts,  opened  an  elegant,  sump- 

532 


WALTER  BROOKS  ROBERTS. 

tuously  furnished  and  appointed  dental  office  in  New  York  City. 
A  year  later  he  purchased  the  interest  of  his  brother,  and  located 
himself  in  Bond  street,  in  the  same  city,  where  he  continued  his 
practice  until  some  time  in  1868. 

The  position  Dr.  Roberts  held  in  the  dental  profession  was 
marked  and  prominent.  He  received  the  first  medal  awarded  by 
the  American  Institute  for  the  best  artificial  teeth,  an  achieve- 
ment which  at  once  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  men  in  the 
Science  of  Dentistry.  He  was  during  this  period,  editor  of  the 
Neio  York  Dental  Journal,  and  continued  his  editorial  connection 
with  it  about  four  years,  its  columns  from  month  to  month  con- 
taining many  of  the  most  practical  and  useful  articles  upon  den- 
tistry. He  was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  organization  and 
establishment  of  the  New  York  Dental  College,  and  is  at  present 
one  of  its  trustees. 

The  internal  feuds  of  Central  America  had  grown  into  a  fear- 
ful civil  war,  destroying  values,  and  deranging  business  of  every 
character.  The  new  firm  found  it  necessary  to  close  their  com- 
mercial traffic  with  that  country,  and  to  this  end,  Dr.  Roberts  re- 
visited Nicaragua.  After  months  of  hardship,  endured  in  travers- 
ing swamps,  mule  paths,  and  unbroken  jungle  fields,  with  hair- 
breadth escapes  from  bullets,  banditti  and  yellow  fever,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  camp  of  the  insurgents,  accomplished  the 
object  of  his  mission,  and  returned  home  with  the  ills  incident  to 
that  climate  fastened  upon  him,  and  which  clung  to  him,  resist- 
ing all  medical  appliances,  for  nearly  a  year. 

In  the  early  Spring  of  1863,  Dr.  Roberts  was  appointed  by  Rev. 
Dr.  Bellows,  President  of  the  National  Sanitary  Commission,  an 
agent  to  visit  General  Hunter's  Division,  then  having  head- 
quarters at  Beaufort,  South  Carolina,  to  examine  into  the  condi- 
tion, sanitary  and  otherwise,  of  that  portion  of  the  Union  Army. 
To  complete  this  duty  he  required  a  month's  time  ;  and  upon  his 
return,  his  report  was  published  in  full  in  tlie  New  York  Dental 
Journal,  and  widely  copied  and  commended  throughout  the 
Northern  States.  It  contained  a  detailed  account  of  his  visits  to 
the  various  camps  of  our  soldiers,  and  was  exhaustive  in  practical 
suggestions  for  the  amelioration  of  their  condition  in  all  regards. 

In  the  Spring  of  1864  he  was  induced  to  subscribe  to  the  stock 
of  an  oil  company,  scores  of  which  were  at  this  t'me   "  beating 

533 


WALTER  BROOKS  ROBERTS. 

about"  for  patrons.  Thi.s  "  investment"  proved,  like  many  others 
of  its  cotemporaries,  to  be  a  permanent  one.  Dr.  Roberts,  upon 
visiting  the  oil  region,  soon  after  this  venture,  found  his  large 
tract  of  oil  territory  located  miles  away  from  developments,  and 
where  none  but  speculators  in  oil  stock  companies  would  think  of 
looking  for  oil  wells.  Tliis  investment  i-emains  unproductive,  and 
is  likely  to  remain  so.  His  visit,  however,  he  turned  to  good  ac- 
count ;  for  he  made  a  thorough  examination  of  the  then  produc- 
ing regions  of  "  the  Creek,"  and  settled  into  the  conviction  that 
wealth  untold  coursed  through  the  rocks  beneath,  and  that  with 
capital,  business  tact  and  mechanical  skill,  it  could  be  brought 
forth.  On  his  return  to  New  york  City,  he  sought  to  enlist  his 
brother,  E.  A.  L.  Roberts,  in  his  plans  for  developing,  by  tender- 
ing him  the  superinteudency  of  some  wells  he  had  resolved  to  put 
down.  Col.  R.  declined  the  position,  but  suggested  that  he  had 
an  enterprise  of  far  more  value,  and  if  the  doctor  would  furnish 
the  necessary  capital  to  test  his  torpedo,  he  would  assign  him  a 
half  interest.  A  theoretical  examination  not  only  convinced  Dr. 
R.  that  the  torpedo  was  of  vital  importance  to  the  uses  intended, 
but  he  also  saw  a  mine  of  wealth  in  it,  and  promptly  accepted  the 
proposition  of  his  brother.  Col.  Roberts,  and  entered  heartily  into 
his  plans  for  testing  its  practicability. 

In  January,  1865,  Col.  Roberts  went  to  Titusville,  having  pre- 
viously  made  six  torpedoes,  to  test  their  j^ower  and  efficiency. 
Meanwhile,  application  for  a  patent  had  been  made.  The  experi- 
ments were  in  all  respects  successful,  and  not  only  the  utility,  but 
the  necessity  for  blasting  oil  wells  to  increase  their  production,  was 
established.  This  accomplished,  the  torpedo  became  a  fixed  fact, 
and  a  rich  harvest  awaited  the  enterprising  discoverer.  But  this 
was  not  to  be  had  without  an  effort.  Others  sought  to  supersede 
the  Roberts'  discovery,  and  filch  from  them  the  rewards  of  their 
genius  and  enterprise.  Half  a  dozen  apjjlications  were  filed  in 
the  Patent  Office  at  Washington,  for  torpedoes  for  like  uses,  and 
the  claims  of  the  contestants  were  two  years  in  traversing  the 
various  departments  of  the  patent  boards,  and  finally  taken  to  the 
United  States  District  Court,  before  Judge  Carter,  where  the 
priority  of  invention  was  awarded  to  Roberts,  as  had  been  the  re- 
sult in  all  preceding  examinations  to  reach  that  point.  Dr. 
Roberts   had   the  management  of  all  the  litigations,  acting   as 

534 


WALTER  BROOKS  ROBERTS. 

attorney  for  the  patentee,  and  at  the  end  of  two  years,  found  him- 
self "master  of  the  situation."  The  patent  was  issued  to  his 
brother,  and  upon  counting  the  cost  of  the  whole  effort  it  was 
found  to  be  less  than  is  ordinarily  jjaid  to  an  attorney  as  "  a  re- 
tainer," in  an  important  suit. 

In  the  Spring  of  1865,  he  organized  the  Roberts'  Petroleum 
Torpedo  Company.  In  1866,  he  was  elected  its  Secretary,  and  in 
1867,  its  President,  which  responsible  position  he  now  holds. 

In  the  fall  of  1866,  he  was  elected  to  the  Common  Council  of 
the  City  of  New  York  for  two  years,  and  served  his  constituents 
faithfully  and  well.  Although  a  prominent  Republican,  and  a 
candidate  in  a  strong  Democratic  district,  he  was  elected  by  a 
handsome  majority.  In  a  political  minority  in  the  Board  of 
Couucihnen,  he  yet,  very  soon  after  becoming  a  member  of  it,  as- 
sumed a  prominent  position  among  his  colleagues  and  before  the 
public.  In  the  Council  of  1867-8,  he  was  the  recognized  leader 
of  the  Republican  minority,  and  in  the  winter  of  1868,  was  the 
candidate  of  his  party  for  President  of  the  body,  the  vote  stand- 
ing 13  Democrats  to  11  Republicans. 

In  the  summer  of  1867,  he  traveled  in  Europe  in  quest  of 
health  and  recreation,  visiting  various  portions  of  France,  Switzer- 
land, Austria,  Prussia,  Holland,  Belgium,  England,  Ireland,  &c. 
In  1868,  he  removed  to  Titusville,  surrendering  his  lucrative  prac- 
tice in  New  York,  tiiat  he  might  give  his  iindivided  attention  to 
his  growing  iuterests  in  the  oil  region.  The  torpedo  infringements 
were  assuming  proportions,  and  Dr.  Roberts  reluctantly  entered 
upon  the  defence  of  his  rights  and  franchises  in  that  direction, 
and  after  months  and  months  of  labor,  and  the  expenditure  of  a 
handsome  fortune,  success  crowned  his  efforts,  the  courts  sustain- 
ing the  torpedo  patent  at  every  stage  of  the  proceedings. 

During  his  residence  in  Titusville,  he  has,  with  a  liberality 
rarely  exhibited,  expended  thousands  of  dollars  in  the  erection  of 
substantial  and  elegant  business  blocks,  which  have  gone  far  to 
make  the  city  of  his  residence  the  pride  of  his  people,  and  the 
emporium  of  the  oil  regions. 

In  March,  1872,  he  became  the  candidate  of  his  fellow-citizens 
for  Mayor,  and  though  opposed  by  one  of  the  strongest  men  of 
the  opposition,  after  a  hotly  contested  canvass,  he  was  elected  by 
a  large  majority. 

535 


WALTER  BROOKS  ROBERTS. 

When  the   "  South  Improvement  Company "   threatened  the 
prosperity  and  very  life  of  the  oil-producing  interest,  Dr.  Koberts 
was  the  first  to  raise  his  voice  against  it,  and  penned  the  first  call 
tor  a  public  meeting.     In  all  the  subsequent  struggles  with  this 
towerin"-  monopoly,  he  was  foremost  and  persistent  in  his  efforts 
to  strangle  it  before  it  had  a  being.     At  the  first  meeting  of  pro- 
ducers, held  at  the  Opera  House  in  Titusville,   to  devise  measures 
to  thwart  the  schemes  of  this  company.  Dr.  Roberts  was  a  lead- 
ino-  spirit,  and  by  his  counsel  and  determined  voice,  did  much  to 
crush  the  monster  monopoly.     To  his  energy  and  characteristic 
enterprise  is  largely  due  the  present  flattering  prospects  for  the 
early  completion  of  the  Buffalo  and  Titusville  Railroad.     When 
this  subject  was  presented  to  liim,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  embrace 
the  earliest  opportunity  to  give  it  his  powerful  aid,  by  becoming  a 
subscriber  to  its  capital  stock,  in  the  princely  sum  of  $50,000. 
When  subsequently  an  organization  was  perfected,  he  was  unani- 
mously chosen  President  of  the  Corporation. 

On  the  first  of  January,  1872,  he,  in  company  with  his  brother, 
E.  A.  L.  Roberts,  John  Porter,  Esq.,  of  Meadville,  and  L.  B. 
Silliman,  of  Titusville,  organized  a  banking  firm  at  Titusville, 
under  the  name  of  Roberts  &  Co.,  Bankers.  Mr.  John  Porter, 
Cashier.  It  is  among  the  most  substantial  monied  institutions  of 
the  oil  regions,  and  indeed  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  With 
an  ample  capital,  an  unlimited  credit,  unquestioned  public  confi- 
dence and  a  business  ability  of  the  highest  order,  this,  like  all  the 
enterprises  Dr.  Roberts  puts  his  mind  and  efforts  upon,  is  to  be  a 
bountiful  success. 

The  ancestors  of  this  branch  of  the  Roberts  family,  were  dis- 
tinguished both  in  diplomacy  and  in  the  sterner  realities  of  war. 
The  great-grandfather,  on  the  maternal  side.  Van  Braam,  was  the 
second  embassador  of  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  to  the 
Court  of  Pekin,  China,  and  in  this  capacity  perfected  the  treaty 
with  the  Chinese  Government,  that  enabled  the  Hollanders  to 
hold  and  control  the  trade  of  that  peculiar  people  so  many  years, 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  nations.  He  was  also  the  publisher 
of  one  of  the  first  books  in  the  English  and  French  languages,  de- 
tailing the  habits,  customs  and  peculiarities  of  that  wonderful 
people. 

The  great-grandfather  on  the  paternal  side  was  a  distinguished 

536 


WALTER     BEOOJiS    EGBERTS. 

officer  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  was  a  native  of  Wales, 
Great  Britain,  and  at  one  period  an  officer  in  the  British  army. 
When  the  mother  country  resolved  to  subdue  her  rebellious  colo- 
nists in  America,  Col.  Owen  Roberts  was  a  citizen  of  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  and  patriotically  espoused  the  cause  of  his  adojsted 
country.  He  was,  however,  tendered  his  commission  in  his 
Majesty's  service,  which  he  promptly'  and  indignantly  declined, 
defiantly  returning  as  his  answer  his  assurances  of  devotion  to  the 
land  of  his  adoption,  and  an  avowal  of  his  determination  to  "  stand 
by  her  fortunes,  come  weal  or  come  woe."  When  hostilities  be- 
gan, he  was  commissioned  Colonel  of  the  4th  South  Carolina  Ar- 
tillery, and  was  subsequently  killed  at  the  battle  of  Stono,  while 
gallantly  leading  his  command  in  an  effort  to  prevent  the  landing 
of  British  troops  at  that  point.  Mortally  wounded  by  a  cannon 
ball  through  one  of  his  lower  limbs,  he  was  carried  from  the  field 
and  jdaced  under  the  shade  of  a  tree,  and  out  of  range  of  the  bat- 
tle still  raging.  His  son,  Richard  Brooks  Roberts,  grandfather  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  learning  of  the  terrible  disaster  to  his 
father,  hastened  to  his  side.  (See  Alexander  Garden's  anecdotes 
of  the  Revolution).  His  father,  observing  the  emotions  of  his 
son,  said  :  "  Take  this  sword,  which  has  never  been  tarnished  by 
dishonor,  and  never  sheath  it  while  the  liberties  of  your  country 
are  in  danger.  Accept  my  last  blessing,  and  return  to  your  duty." 
A  short  time  after  he  breathed  his  last  upon  the  spot  where  his 
comrades  had  placed  him.  His  son,  Richard  B.  Roberts,  was  a 
youth,  scarcely  eighteen  years  of  age,  holding  a  Captain's  commis- 
sion in  his  father's  regiment.  He  faithfully  and  patriotically 
lived  up  to  his  father's  dying  injunctions,  remained  in  the  service 
of  his  country  until  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  and 
was  afterwards  commissioned  a  Major  in  the  regular  army,  by 
General  Washington.  He  died  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-seven, 
leaving  three  sons,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  Lucius  Quintius  Cin- 
cinnatus  Roberts,  father  of  Dr.  W.  B.,  and  Col.  E.  A.  L.  Roberts. 
This  name  was  given  him  in  honor  of  the  Cincinnati  Society,  of 
which  he  was  a  distinguished  member,  and  to  the  privileges  of 
which  his  eldest  son  attained  upon  his  father's  death. 

Dr.  Roberts  is  a  man  of  marked  characteristics,  mentally  as 
well  as  physically.  In  person  he  is  about  six  feet  in  height,  with 
a   well-knit,  powerful  frame,  capable  of  enduring   any  physical 

537 


WALTER  BROOKS  ROBERTS. 

effort  he  may  undertake.  Rarely  aroused,  he  seems  always  to  be 
of  an  even  temper,  and  absolutely  free  from  mental  excitement. 
He  is,  however,  a  profound  thinker,  and  never  discharges  a  subject 
that  at  any  time  engrosses  his  attention,  witliout  fully  compre- 
hending it  in  all  its  points  and  bearings.  Having  done  this,  he  is 
riveted,  so  to  speak,  to  his  convictions  and  conclusions,  and  will 
defend  both  with  consumate  skill  and  determination.  When 
thoroughly  awakened  upon  any  matter  of  personal  or  public  con- 
cern, he  does  not  hesitate  to  give  the  whole  weight  of  his  personal 
and  intellectual  power  to  the  issue  before  him,  and  seldom  with 
doubtful  results.  In  his  private  intercourse  he  is  sociable  and 
companionable,  drawing  men  to  him  as  if  by  magic,  and  retaining 
their  friendship  and  confidence  ever  after.  In  business  circles  he 
is  known  for  his  reliability,  and  for  the  sacredness  he  attaches  to 
his  promises  and  pledges.  Notwithstanding  the  great  wealth  he 
represents,  he  is  a  plain  liver,  unostentatious  in  his  intercourse 
with  his  fellow-citizens,  and  frugal  and  temperate  in  all  his  daily 

walk  and  life. 

538 


CHAllLKS   H.   SCRIBNER. 


pN.    CHARLES   H.  SCRIBNER,   of  Toledo,   Ohio, 
was  born  necar  Norwalk,  Conn.,  October  20th,  1826. 
When  he  was   quite  young,  his  parents  lemoved  to 
Newark,  N.  J.;  afterwards,  about  the  year  1838,  they 
went  West  and  settled  in  the  village  of  Howell,  Licking 
County,  Ohio,  then  returned  to  Newark  in  1840,  and  asrain 
removed  to  Licking  Counfy,  Ohio,  in  1842. 

Here  young  Scribner  acquired  such  education  as  could  be 
obtained  at  the  common  district  school  of  the  county  and  by  study 
at  home.  He  lived  and  worked  on  a  farm  until  he  was  about 
eighteen  years  of  age,  and  then  became  an  apprentice  to  a  sad- 
dler and  harness  maker.  In  the  meantime,  while  learning  his 
trade,  he  commenced  and  pursued  the  study  of  the  law,  (studying 
at  night),  under  the  tuition  of  Edmund  Connelly,  Esq.,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Licking  County  Bar,  often  walking  a  distance  of  four 
miles  to  recite.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  by  the  Supreme 
Court  in  October,  1848,  and  removed  to  Mount  Vernon,  Knox 
County,  to  commence  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  April,  1849. 
At  that  time  the  Knox  County  Bar  numbered  among  its 
members  .such  men  as  Hon.  Columbus  Delano,  present  Secretary 
of  the  Interior ;  R.  C.  Hurd,  author  of  a  treatise  on  the  Law  of 
Habeas  Corpus  and  afterwards  one  of  the  judges  of  that  district; 
Hosmer  Curtis,  Esci.;  Hon.  Henry  B.  Curtis;  Hon.  Walter  H. 
Smith,  present  Assistant  Attorney  General  of  the  United  States; 
Hon.  William  Windona,  now  United  States  Senator  from  Minne- 
sota, and  Hon.  Daniel  S.  Norton,  Ex-United  States  Senator  from 
the  same  State. 

In  November,  1850,  Mr.  Scribner  entered  the  law  office  of  Hon. 
Henry  B.  Curtis  as  a  partner,  which  connection  continued  until 
June,  1869,  when  Mr.  Scribner  removed  to  Toledo. 

At  the  General  election  in  October,  1861,  Mr.  Scribner  was 
the  Democratic  candidate  for  Common  Pleas  Judge  in  the  judi- 

539 


CHARLES    H.    SCRIBNER. 

cial  subdivision  composed  of  the  Counties  of  Knox,  Licking  and 
Delaware.  He  was  defeated  by  the  "  Union  "  political  movement 
of  that  year.  The  County  of  Knox,  however,  honored  him  with 
a  majority,  although  it  gave  a  majority  of  nearly  one  thousand  for 
the  "  Union  "  ticket. 

In  the  summer  of  1861,  Mr.  Scribner  commenced  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  treatise  on  the  Law  of  Dower,  the  first  volume  of  which 
was  published  in  January,  1864,  and  the  second  in  June,  1867. 
This  work  has  been  most  favorably  received  by  the  press  and  public. 
At  the  general  election  in  October,  1867,  Mr.  Scribner  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Senate,  from  the  Senatorial  district 
composed  of  the  counties  of  Morrow,  Knox,  Wayne  and  Holmes. 
He  served  during  the  sessions  of  1868  and  1869,  and  was  chair- 
man of  the  Judiciary  Committee  of  the  Senate. 

During  the  session  of  1868,  a  special  committee,  consisting  of 
three  members,  was  appointed  by  the  Senate  to  revise  and  codify 
the  municipal  laws  of  the  State,  and  Mr.  Scribner  was  made 
Chairman  of  this  Committee.  The  performance  of  this  duty 
entailed  an  arduous  labor  upon  the  Committee,  whose  work  com- 
menced in  November,  1868,  and  was  continued  during  the  session 
of  1868  Mr.  Scribner's  labors  were  particularly  severe.  After 
completing  his  work  for  the  day  as  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary 
Committee,  he  devoted  a  considerable  portion  of  the  night,  for 
several  months,  to  labor  upon  the  Municipal  Code.  The  bill,  as 
reported,  consisted  of  732  sections,  and  was  adopted  by  the  Legis- 
lature substantially  as  reported. 

After  completing  the  Municipal  Code,  Mr.  Scribner  introduced 
a  bill  to  provide  a  "Code  ot  Criminal  Procedure  "  for  the  State,  con- 
sisting of  nearly  250  sections.  This  bill  was  prepared  by  his  pre- 
decessor in  the  Senate,  and  present  law  partner,  Hon.  Frank  H. 
Hurd.  Mr.  Scribner  was  greatly  interested  in  the  measure,  and 
labored  earnestly  for  its  passage.     It  was  finally  adopted. 

In  June  1869,  as  before  stated,  Mr.  Scribner  removed  to  Toledo, 
Ohio,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
the  law.  At  the  April  election  in  1873,  he  was  nominated  by 
the  Democrats  for  a  seat  in  the  Convention  called  to  revise  the 
Constitution  of  the  State.  The  average  Republican  majority  in 
Lucas  County  exceeds  one  thousand,  j'et  Mr.  Scribner  was  elected. 

At  the  Democratic  State  Convention  held  at  Columbus,  August 
6th,  1873,  Mr.  Scribner  was  nominated  ])y  acclamation  as  a  candi- 
date lor  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

&40 


LAFAYETTE  S.   FOSTER. 

By  gen.  JOHN  WATTS  de   PEYSTER. 


"  An  honest  soul  is  like  a  ship  at  sea, 

That  sleeps  at  anchor  ou  the  occasion's  calm  ; 
But  when  it  rages  and  the  wind  blows  high 

She  cuts  her  way  with  skill  and  majesty." 

Beau>xont  Fletcher's    "  Honest  Man's  Fortune." 

One  of  the  first  episodes  which  made  an  impression  on  the 
writer's  mind,  when  introduced  at  an  early  age  to  the  study  of 
ancient  history,  was  tlie  moral  effect  of  the  Roman  Senate  or  aged 
Patricians,  unarmed,  except  in  their  "  array  of  majesty  "  upon 
the  barbarian  invaders  of  Rome  B.  G.  389,  although  entirely  at 
their  mercy,  when  Brennus  and  his  Gauls  burst  into  the  Roman 
Capital  after  the  inglorious  overthrow  of  its  defenders  upon 
the  Alia. 

Some  such  atmosphere  of  stately  dignity  must  have  haloed 
the  bt-tter  part  of  the  French  Assembly  and  Convention,  when  the 
reeking  rabble  of  Paris  flowed  like  a  fcetid  flood  into  the  chamber 
and  interrupted  their  deliberations  with  their  obscene  fury,  when 
Boissy  d'Anglas,  calm  and  fearless  in  the  chair,  respectfully  bowed 
before  the  head  of  his  assassinated  brother  Deputy — Ferand, 
presented  to  intimidate  him,  upon  the  point  of  a  pike,  and,  despite 
his  imminent  peril,  protested  against  the  popular  violence  and  re- 
fused to  put  the  propositions  of  the  insurgents  to  the  vote. 

Modern  investigation,  which  has  banished  so  much  that  is 
glorious  in  ancient  history  into  the  domain  of  fiction  or  dreamland, 
and  has  converted  what  the  youth  of  half  a  century  since  were 
taught  to  consider  as  established  facts  into  myths  as  unreal  as  the 
Niebelimgen  Lied,  can  never  disestablish  the  belief  of  any  reflect- 
ing mind  that  there  was  more  dignity  in  the  past  than  in  the 
present,    whatever   other   virtues   may   have   been  developed  by 

human  progress. 

541 


LAFAYETTE    S.    FOSTER. 


This  train  of  thought  was  awakened  by  the  remembi-ance  of 
meeting  a  few  months  since  at  the  house  of  a  common  friend,  the 
resort  of  the  most  intellectual  and  distinguished  in  the  country,  a 
gentleman  of  mature  years,  whose  very  appearance,  bearing,  voice, 
manner,  and  conversation  could  not  fail  to  malie  an  impression 
upon  even  a  tiioughtless  person.  The  introduction  which  followed 
made  him  known  as  the  Honorable  Lafayette  S.  Foster,  in 
1865 -7,  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  in  consequence  of  the 
atrocious  assassination  of  Lincoln,  and  consequent  accidental  ac- 
cession of  Andrew  Johnson.  Recalling  the  impression  made  that 
evenino-  a  number  of  quotations  from  the  classics  at  once  recurred 
to  the  mind  in  regard  to  a  just  and  patriotic  citizen,  but  they 
have  become  too  hackneyed,  through  frequent  misajsplication,  for 
repetition.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  Mr.  Foster  fulfilled  all  the  ideas 
of  a  man  whose  mind,  character,  deportment  and  address  qualified 
him  for  the  important  offices  to  which  Providence  assigned  him. 

Close  observation  of  the  public  career  of  Mr.  Foster  must  im- 
press any  one  with  the  assurance  that  he  always  lived  and  acted 
in  accordance  with  the  sentiments  of  the  poet,  James  Thomson,  in 
his  tragedy  of  Coriolanus  (1748.) 

■'  I  bow  iu  adoratiou  to  the  Gods ; 
"  I  venerate  their  servants,  but  there  is, 

"  There  is  a  power,  their  chief,  their  darliug  care, 
"The  guardiau  of  manliiiid,  which  to  betray 

"  Were  viohitiiig  all — aud  that  is  Justice." 

Lafayette  S.  Foster  was  born  in  Franklin,  a  part  of  the  an- 
cient town  of  Norwich,  Connecticut.  He  was  the  son  of  Captain 
Daniel  Foster,  who  served  in  the  American  army,  victorious  over 
Burgoyne,  at  Saratoga,  (considered  by  Professor  E.  S.  Creasy  the 
13th  of  the  "XV  Decisive  Battles"  of  the  world),  and  under 
Washington  at  White  Plains.  His  paternal  grand-mother  was 
Hannah  Standish,  a  direct  descendant  of  Miles  Standish,  the  first 
military  leader  of  the  Plymouth  settlers  in  New  England.  Edu- 
cated at  Brown  University,  Providence,  Ehode  Island,  he  was 
graduated  there  in  1828,  with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class.  He 
studied  law  with  the  Hon.  Calvin  Goddard  of  Norwich,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1831;  was  repeatedly  elected  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  Connecticut,  from  Norwich,  and  was  speaker  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  in  1847,  in  1848,  and  in  1854. 
Chosen  as  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Norwich  in  1851,  and  again  in 


542 


LAFAYETTE     S.    FOSTER. 

1852,  liis  last  election  was  signalized  by  a  most  remarkable  fact, 
rarely  paralleled  in  a  political  contest.  He  received  every  vote 
cast !  In  1854  Mr.  Foster  was  elected  a  Senator  in  Congress  for 
six  years,  and  at  the  close  of  that  term,  in  1860,  was  re-elected  for 
six  years  longer.  His  last  term  expired  on  the  4th  of  March,  1867. 
While  in  the  Senate  he  served  on  the  "  Committee  of  Revolution- 
ary Pensions,"  on  "  Private  Land  Claims,"  on  "  Public  Lands," 
on  "  Pensions,"  on  the  "  Judiciary,"  and  on  "  Foreign  Relations." 
On  the  last  named  committee  he  occupied  the  second  place  for 
some  time;  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Pensions  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  war.  In  March,  1865,  he  was  elected 
President  pro  tern  of  the  Senate,  and  when  Mr.  Johnson,  the  Vice- 
President,  became  President  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  on  the 
14tli  of  April,  1865,  Mr.  Foster  became  Acting  Vice-President 
of  the  United  States,  and  held  that  position  for  two  years,  until 
the  close  of  his  term  in  the  Senate. 

In  1870  he  was  again  elected  to  represent  Norwich  in  the 
General  Assembly  of  his  native  State,  Connecticut,  and  was  chosen 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  Subsequently,  during 
the  same  session,  he  was  elected  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Errors  and  the  Superior  Court  of  the  State,  which  office  he  still 
holds.  For  this  office  Mr.  Foster  received  every  vote  in  the  Senate 
and  197  out  of  202  in  the  House.  This  unanimity  of  opinion  in 
regard  to  his  character  and  his  fitness  for  exalted  positions,  re- 
quiring the  highest  attributes,  is  one  of  the  strongest  points  in  a 
pen-portrait  of  a  man  who,  in  every  position,  won  the  confidence 
and  good  will  of  the  wisest  and  best,  and  evinced  a  justness  of 
comprehension,  and  a  largeness  of  views  which  justify  the  favorable 
opinion  of  the  writer  and  all  who  know  this  courteous  and  digni- 
fied exemplar  of  a  representative  American,  and,  withal,  one  of 
Nature's  nobility. 

543 


'^?^r^^,^;^^-:;??z^i.^ 


MAJ.  tEU.  &EORGE  H.  THOMAS,  U.  S.A 


GEORGE    II.  THOMAS. 

BY   GEX.    J.    WATTS   de   PEYSTER. 

HE  poet-laureate  of  England,  in  liis  "  Ode  on  the  Death 
of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,"  depicts,  in  the  simplest  but 
strongest  language,  the  characteristics  of  a  perfect  repub- 
lican  hero.      These,  in  their  strict  application,  however 

ited  in  degree,  belonged  not  to  the  "  Iron  Duke,"  but  to  the 

Dck  of  Chickamauga  :  " 

"Rich  iu  saving  common  sense, 
And,  as  the  greatest  only  are, 
In  his  simplicity  sublime, 

0  voice  from  which  their  omens  all  men  drew. 

"O  iron  nerve  to  tnio  occasions  true, 
0  fall'n  at  length  that  tower  of  strength, 

Which  stood  tour  square  to  all  the  winds  that  blew. 

********* 

"Such  was  he,  his  work  is  done; 

But  while  the  races  of  mankind  endure, 

Let  his  great  example  stand, 

Colossal  seen  of  every  land, 

And  keep  the  soldier  firm,  the  statesman  pure, 

Till  in  all  lands  and  thro'  all  human  story, 

The  path  of  duty  be  the  way  to  glory." 

Eeflecting  upon  this  magnificent  poem,  whose  further  quota- 
tion is  forbidden  by  restricted  space,  the  critic  would  find  its  imme- 
diate application  utterly  imjiossible  to  any  popular  hero,  until  he 
studies  the  career  of  George  H.  Thomas.  He  alone,  in  the  present 
age,  like  Gustavus  Adolphus,  and  his  favorite  pupil  Torstenson,  in 
any  time  gone  by  of  wliich  we  have  arithmetic  records,  are  the  only 
ones  strictly  wf>rthy  of  its  most  exalted  passages. 

That  the  following  pages  present  no  exaggerated  conception  of 
the  attributes  of  George  H.  Thomas,  is  demonstrated  by  the  language 

.545 


GEORGE    H.     THOMAS. 

applied  to  him  in  various  biographies  and  in  obituaries  called  forth 
by  his  untimely  decease.  In  these  he  is  invariably  characterized  as 
unexceptionable  for  his  personal  pui-ity,  his  tried  ability,  and  his  un- 
deviating  success,  his  unfailing  judgment,  his  noble  modesty,  his 
unsurpassed  fidelity,  and,  by  all  who  know  the  facts,  by  his  astound- 
ing forbearance  under  the  wrongs  and  injustice  to  which  he  was  sub- 
jected by  an  ungrateful  country  ;  finally  by  politicians  steeped  in 
selfishness,  and  by  a  people  then  utterly  incapable  of  measuring  or 
taking  in  the  greatness  of  the  man  who  was  serving  them  to  the  ex- 
tent of  his  ability,  while  all,  but  a  small  minority,  were  ignoring  or 
misconceiving  the  vast  extent  and  influence  of  the  services  of  the 
man  to  whom,  after  all,  the  salvation  of  the  nation  is  due  more  than 
to  any  other  citizen  or  soldier. 

Although  Virginia,  "  mother  of  presidents,"  is  the  natal  soil  of 
so  many  great  men — among  these  Madison,  Moin-oe,  Taylor,  Harri- 
son, Scott,  Clay,  and  even  the  "  Sage  of  Monticello,"  and  although 
thereon  was  boin  and  bred  the  so-styled  father  of  his  (this)  country, 
nevertheless,  neither  tiie  soil  nor  the  peculiar  race  of  "  Old  Dominion  " 
ever  produced  a  greater  son  than  the  hero  of  this  biography,  George 
H.  Thomas.  It  is  very  doubtful  if,  taking  all  things  into  considera- 
tion, Virginia  can  boast  in  George  Washington  as  exemplary  a 
citizen  as  the  modest,  unselfish  martyr  to  duty,  the  victor  of  the  only 
immediately  decisive  battle  of  the  great  American  conflict.  "  In- 
deed," remarks  one  who  knew  Thomas  intimately,  "Washington  was 
his  superior  in  nothing,  while  as  a  general  he  was  greatly  inferior." 

All  the  virtues  and  general  abilities  ascribed  to  the  mythical 
Virginian  of  a  century  since,  all  the  virtues  and  military  excellence 
credited  to  the  idol  of  southern  worship  in  the  present  generation, 
all  these  belonged,  in  reality,  in  a  greater  degree  to  the  man  whom 
his  generation  does  not  seem  to  have  been  capable  of  appreciating, 
on  account  of  the  very  simplicity  which  was  the  peculiar  character- 
istic of  the  sjiotless  George  H.  Thomas. 

Thomas,  like  the  wonderful  Giorgione,  of  whom  Titian  was  at 
once  the  pupil  and  rival,  the  first  true  painter  of  the  New  Birth  of 
the  most  resjjlendent  school  of  coloring — only  exists  in  the  minds  of 
the  majority  of  his  countiymen  as  a  GREAT  name,  although  he  is  the 
greatest  this  country  can  boast,  not  excepting  the  ideal  Washington. 
Of  George  H.  Thomas  it  may  truly  be  said  again,  as  of  Giorgione,  "  the 
inheritor  of  unfulfilled  renown,"  "  the  intrepid  worker,"  that  even 
although  criticism  has  reduced  the  number  of  his  easel  pictures 

540 


GEORGE    H.     THOMAS. 

(works  of  his  own  liaud)  to  half  a  dozen,  even  so  the  great  undeniable 
individual  achievements  of  our  best  general,  may  be  counted  upon  the 
fingers  of  one  hand,  while  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  calculate  the 
many  grand  results  which  he  influenced,  the  many  doubtful  collis- 
ionswhich  his  inspiration  converted  into  assured  successes.  And 
even  as  the  master  hand  of  Giorgioue  is  scarcely  perceptible  in  his 
once  resplendent  frescoes,  destroyed  by  the  damp  and  exhalations  of 
the  Laguues,  even  so  the  effect  of  the  presence,  influence,  and  judg- 
ment of  Thomas  on  many  momentous  fields,  are  lost  in  a  great  mea- 
sure,  through  the  misconception,  the  obtuseness,  the  hollowness  of 
popular  judgment  in  regard  to  the  real,  the  sublime. 

To  Thomas  belongs  the  Sunday  "  annihilating  "  victory  of  Mill 
Spring,  the  first  success  of  any  consequence  beyond  the  Appalach- 
ians, the  dawn  of  hope  west  of  the  great  eastern  battle-ground— Vir- 
ginia ;  the  other  Sunday  success  fought  on  the  "  River  of  Death," 
which  gave  to  him  the  title  of  the  ''Rock  of  Chickamauga ; "  the 
tenacious  defense  of  the  key  to  the  portal  and  store-houses  of  the 
Confederacy,  Chattanooga,  in  which  he  made  good  his  promise, 
"  We  will  hold  the  town  till  we  starve  ;  "  the  carrying  of  Mission  or 
Missionaries'  Ridge,  at  the  Confederate  centre,  opposite  "  Orchard 
Knob,"  or  "Indian  Hill,"  which  constituted  the  grand  ieature  of  the 
second  battle  of  Chattanooga  proper  ;  and  the  supreme  triumph  at 
Nashville,  without  a  parallel  on  our  continent,  the  only  hattle  of  the 
war  (except  Mill  Spring  on  a  vastly  smaller  scale)  which  resulted  in 
the  annihilation  of  an  opposing  armj'. 

Like  Gustavus  Adolphus,  whom  he  resembled  in  every  virtue, 
and  in  every  grand  pre-eminent  characteristic,  he  was  taken  away 
because  he  was  too  good  to  be  left,  and  because,  if  our  people  could 
have  lifted  up  their  souls  to  conceive  his ;  if  their  minds  could  only 
have  taken  him  in  as  he  was ;  they  would  have  neglected  all  other 
idols,  and  made  him  the  object  of  their  devoted  admiration. 

In  using  the  word  "  greatest "  to  designate  Thomas,*  it  must  be 
taken  iu  the  sense  in  which  it  was  applied  to  •'  the  foremost  man  of 

*  It  may  be  interesting  to  recall  iu  this  connection,  that  Everett,  in  his  so-ofteu- 
rf^eated  oration  upon  the  career  and  character  ot  Washington,  undertook  to  demon- 
strate that  his  greatness  consisted,  not  in  the  predominance  of  any  one  characteristic, 
but  iu  the  poise,  adjustment,  and  equal  bearing  of  each  and  all.  11  this  was  true  of 
Washington,  it  was  more  than  true  of  Thomas,  who,  under  greater  provocations 
than  ever  Washington  experienced,  always  retained  his  serenity  except  when  wrong 
was  done  to  his  soldiers.  Always  alive  to  injustice  to  others,  his  unsellish  patriot- 
ism made  him  oblivious  of  everything  he  himself  was  called  on  to  suffer. 

547 


GEORGE    H.     THOMAS. 

all  this  modern  world,"  Gustavus  Adolphus,  whose  whole,  mental, 
moral,  and  pliysical,  was  compared  to  a  cube  with  tbe  motto  "  aqualis 
semper  et  eredus"  as  the  only  symbol  which  could  convey  the  per- 
fect solidity,  exact  poise,  nice  adjustment,  and  equal  distribution  of 
all  that  was  necessary  to  enter  into  the  make-up  of  the  "  God-like 
men,"  on  whom  common  mortals  build  their  trust. 

While  contemplating  the  preparation  of  this  sketch,  it  was  im- 
possible not  to  recognize  from  the  first  that  the  only  fitting  parallel 
to  Thomas  was  Gustavus  Adolphus,  "  one  who  was  never  dismayed 
or  puzzled  from  early  manhood  till  the  hour  of  his  death."  This 
parallel  holds  good  not  only  as  regards  all  the  virtwes  of  a  citizen, 
and  all  the  qualities  of  a  soldier,  but  likewise  in  the  physical  devel- 
opments and  peculiar  traits  of  the  noblest  American  and  the  pre-emi- 
nent Swede.  Both  were  as  remarkable  for  the  manly  massiveness  of 
their  heads  and  figures  as  for  their  indomitable  intrepidity,  energy, 
common  sense,  and  forbearance.  Both  were  alike  wonderful  in  their 
personal  influence,  and,  it  is  stated  by  an  eye-witness,  himself  a  dis- 
tinguished Major-General,  that  in  the  grand  meeting  of  officers  and 
generals  at  Chicago  in  1867,  when  the  uproar  was  at  its  height,  and 
neither  the  endeavors  of  Grant  or  Sherman  had  any  effect  to  still 
the  commotion,  then  Thomas  arose  and  there  was  peace,  and  he  spoke 
his  few  calm  earnest  words  to  an  audience  which  listened  to  him 
with  a  demeanor  and  respect  that  can  scarcely  be  qualified  by  any 
other  word  than  veneration. 

The  face  of  Thomas  in  repose  wore  a  severer  expression  than  that 
of  Gustavus,  but  nothing  could  have  been  more  winning  than  the 
former's  smile.  As  for  his  voice  it  was  as  gentle  as  a  woman's,  and 
listeners  often  deceived  themselves  as  to  the  force  of  his  condemna- 
tion of  all  those  who,  like  McClellan,  wasted  the  lives  of  our  soldiers, 
and  the  treasure  of  the  country,  by  the  calm  tones  in  which  the 
judgment  was  uttered.  This  was  particularly  the  case  in  reviewing 
the  "Youpg  Napoleon's "  peninsular  campaign,  and  previous  iner- 
tion.  Then  the  current  of  the  "deep  damnation"  flowed  from  the 
lips  of  Thomas  with  the  majestic  tone  and  volume  of  a  mighty 
river. 

The  more  the  candid  mind  reflects,  the  more,  indeed,  it  will  be 
convinced  that,  if  this  country  ever  produced  a  perfect  character,  if 
history  reveals  to  us  anything  like  a  perfect  character,  if  the  human 
mind  could  divest  itself  of  prejudice,  or  discern  the  true  metal  through 
the  lacquer  laid  on  more  or  less  thick  by  Fortune,  our  countrymen 

548 


GKORG  E    H.     THOMAS. 

would  recognize  in  Thomas,  the  greatest  and  best  man  our  institu- 
tions have  developed.     Tlie  writer  felt  it  and  said  it  while  Thomas 
was  living  ;  he  feels  it,  he  sees  it,  he  must  express  it  now  that  his  re- 
mains, witliout  a  national  monument,  sleep  beneath  the  soil  that  his 
solid  virtues  and  capacities  preserved.     Yes  I    the  genius  of  Thomas 
preserved !    for  Thomas  not  only  possessed  rare  genius,  but  his  ge- 
nius was  combined  with  equally  remarkable  talents.    Genius  creates  ; 
talents  apply  powers  or  forces  already  existing.    Genius  is  the  imme- 
diate inspiration  of  the  Deity.     Like  original  light,  it  bursts  forth  re- 
sponsive to  tlie  demand  of  the  moment  or  the  command  of  necessity. 
It  is  born,  full  grown,  equipped,  perfect,  like  Minerva—*,  e.  practical 
-wisdom— from  the  brain  of  the  Supreme.     It  knows  no  increment,  it 
bridges  the  gulf  which  arrests  talent.  Talent,  often  of  very  slow  devel- 
opment, is  the  child  of  study,  experience,  and  application.     To  cite 
two  great  examples  of  these  gifts,  Conde  had  genius  ;    Turenne,  his 
great   rival,  had   talent.     Genius  is  the  lightning  flash  of  inherent 
common  sen.se,  evoked  by  the  concussion  of  the  moment,  and  Thom- 
as demonstrated  that  he  possessed  Conde's  genius  when  he  won  bis 
first  battle  at  Mill  Spring,  and  Turenne's  talent  when  he  achieved 
the  greatest  triumph  of  our  war  at  Nashville,  which  dbcided  the  fate 
of  the  nation ;    Nashville,  the  pivot  on   which  the  fortunes  of  the 
great  American  conflict  turned ;    Nashville,  the  great  decisive  bat- 
tle which  wiped  out  an  army  ;   Nashville,  which  made  the  capitula- 
tion of  Appomatox  Court  House  a  possibility.  Had  Hood  been  the  vic- 
tor under  the  walls  of  the  capital  of  Tennessee,  the  war  would  have 
begun  anew,  and  our  over-burthened  people,  like  the  martyrs  of  Re- 
velation, would  even  now  be  crying,  "  How  long."   Thomas  has  been 
ac-cused  of  being  slow;   but,  like  the  mills  of  fate,  though  he  ground 
slowly,  he  ground   exceedingly   strong,  and  surpassingly  sure.      He 
was  the  "  Thought,^'  ''11  Pe7isiero,"'ot  every  army    with  which   he 
served,  and,  whether  second  or  first  in  command,  "a  strong  tower," 
"  eine  fesie  hurg,"  on  which  men  leaned,  even  as  the  army  did,  on  the 
field  of  the  19th,  20th  September,  1863,  upou  the  "  Rock  of  Chicka- 
mauga." 

General  Thomas  was  born  July  31st,  1816,  on  his  father's  plant- 
ation in  Southampton  County,  one  of  the  four  extreme  south-east- 
ern counties  of  Virginia.  He  sprang  from,  and  was  connected  with, 
the  oldest  and  best  families  of  the  State.  His  father,  John  Thomas, 
■was  of  English,  or,  more  remotely,  of  Welsh  descent,  and  his  mother, 
Elizabeth  Rochelle,  was  of  an  old  and  honorable  Huguenot  family. 

549 


GEORGE    H.    THOMAS. 

This  was  a  curious  mingling  of  blood,  and  if ''  blood  will  tell,"  as 
the  proverb  reads,  the  union  of  these  two  races,  both  remarkable  for 
peculiar  qualities,  developed  and  concentrated  their  strength  in  our 
greatest  general. 

Thomas,  in  his  aspect  and  build,  was  a  perfect  example  of  that 
race  which,  originally  known  as  the  Briton,  is  now  almost  entirely 
confined  to  Wales,  and  the  ancient  Armorica,  present  Brittany  in 
France.  The  writer  has  met  with  individuals  almost  identical  as  to 
physical  characteristics  in  France,  but  more  jjarticularly  in  the 
French  navy.  This  was  his  paternal  race.  Consequently,  accord- 
ing to  psycho-physiological  laws,  Thomas,  as  he  derived  his  physi- 
cal conformation  from  his  father,  must  have  inlierited  his  mental  and 
moral  characteristics  from  his  mother,  and,  in  accordance  with  this 
theory — borne  out  by  the  observation  of  a  life  time,  as  well  as  by 
ethnological  study — his  greatness  must  be  credited  to  his  maternal 
origin,  the  Huguenot.  This,  almost  altogether  Gothic  in  its  origin, 
gave  a  moral,  mental,  and  male  force  to  France  of  which  the  French 
nation  are  acknowledged,  by  wholesale  murder  and  Papal  persecu- 
tion, "  to  have  lost  the  very  seed."  It  is  no  vain  boast  nor  empty 
assertion  to  claim  that  the  Huguenot  race*  has  constituted  the  leaven 
of  the  modern  world.  It  has  directly  or  indirectly  produced  the 
greatest  soldiers  who  have  illustrated  the  past  five  centuries.  The 
efi'ect  of  the  French  protestant  emigration  has  been  seriously  and 
gloriously  felt  from  Sweden  north  to  Algiers  south  ;  from  Moscow 
east  to  Limerick  west  To  it  we  credit  Coligni,  greatest  of  French 
citizens ;  Duquesne,  greatest  of  French  admirals ;  William  III., 
greatest  of  Eoyal  reformers  ;  Frederick  the  Great,  greatest  of  Royal 
generals.  Ethnological  and  historical  investigators  attribute  the  de- 
cadence of  France  to  its  ex]:)ulsion  ;  the  universal  progress  of  hu- 
manity to  its  dispersion  ;  and,  as  if  the  blessing  of  God  accompanied 
its  exile,  wherever  ijapalism  drove  it,  every  nation  that  welcomed 
and  fostered  it,  in  accordance  with  the  hospitality  and  opportunities 

•  To  prove  that  this  is  no  exaggerated  view  of  the  mighty  inUuence  of  the  Hugue- 
not blood,  the  reader  is  referred  to  a  number  of  standard  works,  but  particularly  to 
the  "  Histoire  de  France,"  by  the  celebrated  J.  Michelet,  also  to  "The  Prussian 
Race,  ethnologically  considered,"  by  Jean  Louis  Ai-mand  de  Quatreiages,  London, 
1872,  particularly  chapter  viii.,  "French  immigration  in  the  seventeenth  century." 
Hundreds  of  works  might  be  cited,  but  these  are  accessible  to  all,  as  the  latter  ap- 
peared originally  in  the  Ecviie  des  Deux  Moiides,  article  VII.  "M.  Guizot  and  the 
failure  of  French  Protestantism,"  from  the  SptCtator,  republished  in  No.  1585, 
Oct.  2ith,  1874,  of  Littel's  Living  Age. 

550 


GEORGE    H.     THOMAS. 

afforded  it,  iLat  nation  has  advanced  in  greatness  and  power  with 
the  strides  of  a  giant.  Moreover,  in  the  case  before  us,  if  another 
proverb  be  true,  that  no  great  men  are  issued  from  any  but  the 
womb  of  a  gi-eat  mother,  it  is  bat  just  to  concede  to  the  Huguenot 
parent  the  spring  and  force  of  the  illustrious  career  of  one  who  most 
honored  the  national  uniform  by  the  wearing  of  it. 

As  Major-General  Geo.  W.  Cullum's  "  Biographical  Register  of 
the  "West  Point  Graduates  "  furnishes  a  detailed  statement  of  the  early 
service  of  George  H.  Thomas,  it  is^  needless  to  say  more  than  that, 
after  graduating  July  1st.  1840,  he  served  with  distinction  against 
the  Seminole  Indians  in  Florida ;  in  the  Mexican  war ;  and  down  to 
1860  against  the  Western  Indians.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  late 
Civil  War,  he  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  2d  U.  S.  Cavalry,  and 
Colonel  3d  May,  1861.  August  17tli,  1861,  he  was  made  Brigadier- 
General  of  Volunteers  in  the  "Department  of  the  Cumberland,"  and, 
November  30th,  1861,  he  was  placed  in  command  of  a  division  of 
the  "  Army  of  the  Ohio."  It  was  while  occupying  this  position 
that  he  won  a  victory,  19th-20th  January,  1862,  which  may  be 
said  to  have  been  the  first  clear  dawn  of  hope  at  the  West.  There 
had  been,  it  is  true,  a  few  faint  indications  of  the  coming  light, 
but  this  was  the  real  upburst  of  the  sun  from  behind  the  mountains 
of  gloom,  diffaaing  the  brilliancy  of  a  day  which  was  to  know  a 
still  more  glorious  sunset  in  the  crowning  triumph  of  Thomas  at 
Nashville. 

In  regard  to  the  battle  of  Mill  Spring  there  wei'C  some  remark- 
able circumstances  which  have  never  been  brought  before  the  pub- 
lic. By  the  way,  the  title  of  this  battle  is  a  misnomer,  for  Mill 
Spring  was  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  where  there  was  no  fight- 
ing, whereas  the  collision  occurred  rather  at  Beech  Grove,  or  on  Fish- 
ing Creek,  near  Logan's  Cross  Eords,  names  more  appositely  applied 
to  this  engagement  by  the  Confederates.  The  perfect  system  of  out- 
post duty  inaugurated  by  Thomas  prevented  such  a  surprise  on 
this  occasion  as  at  Shiloh  or  Pittsburg  Landing.  His  perfect  appre- 
ciation of  the  value  of  time  decided  the  next  phase  of  this  important 
operation,  and  his  common  sense  converted  a  side  issue  into  a  deci- 
sive master-stroke. 

On  this  occasion  Thomas  had  an  opportunity  to  display  that 
exquisite  common  sense,  which,  in  all  men  who  po.ssess  it,  but  es- 
pecially in  him,  amounts  to  what  the  world  considers  genius.  Grif- 
fith is  right  in  saying  that  whenever  genius  can  and  does  discover 

551 


GEORGE    H.     THOMAS. 

and  apply  a  remedy  at  a  life  or  death  crisis,  it  is  God  himself  working 
through  and  in  men. 

At  Mill  Spring,  Thomas  knew  that  his  or  any  green  troops  were  in- 
capable of  manoeuvering,  especially  under  fire,  and  he  determined  that 
no  attempt  to  make  a  single  useless  movement  should  mar  the 
grand  result.  He  told  the  writer  that  he  placed  himself,  so  to 
speak,  like  a  marker  on  the  line  of  battle,  and  saw  or  felt  each  regi- 
ment file  by  into  its  proper  or  assigned  position.  Then  he  faced 
them,  indicated  the  enemy,  and  bade  them  go  in  and  do  their  duty. 
And,  filled  with  the  inspiration  of  their  leader's  calm  assurance  of 
victory,  they  did  both.  This  conduct  on  tbe  part  of  Thomas  was 
genius,  for  it  is  genius  to  comprehend  exactly  of  how  much  a  body 
of  troops  is  capable,  and  it  is  greater  genius  so  to  handle  them  as  to 
get  out  of  them  all  that  the  leader  determines  -they  shall  do,  and  the 
troops,  through  confidence  in  him,  realizing  the  words  of  Virgil, 
"possunt  quia  jMsse  videidur,"  are  reciprucally  able  to  do. 

At  Mill  Spring  (repeating,  to  emphasize),  the  manner  in  which 
Thomas  brought  up,  posted,  and  fought  his  new  levies,  was  exactly 
the  same  kind  of  manifestation  of  genius  as  that  display  of  common 
sense  by  which  L.  Jimilius  Paulus  converted  the  victory,  all  but 
won  by  the  phalanx  at  Pydna,  into  the  final  overthrow,  instead  of 
the  Greek  power  there,  22d  Jane,  B.  C.  168.  This  common  sense 
was  as  much  genius  as  the  conception  of  the  oblique  order  by  which 
E]3aminondas  triumphed  at  Leuctra  and  Mantinoea,  and  acquired  im- 
perishable renown ;  as  much  genius  as  the  command  "Jieri  fades 
milites,"  which  decided  Pliarsalia  and  the  destinies  of  the  world. 

At  Pydna  the  charging  phalanx,  with  their  sarissas  (pikes  twenty 
feet  long)  locked  in  the  shields  of  the  two  front  lines  of  tbe  Roman 
legions,  compressed  into  one  by  the  impact,  was  bearing  all  before 
it.  Suddenly,  a  happy  inspiration,  or  impulse  of  instinct,  or  exer- 
tion of  common  sense,  jirompted  tlie  Roman  general  to  withdraw  the 
ahernate  maniple  or  company,  so  as  to  render  the  pressure  or  resist- 
ance to  the  even  front  of  the  phalanx  irregular  and  unequal.  The 
result  was  as  sudden  almost  as  the  conception,  the  order,  and  its  exe- 
cution. The  previous  level  front  of  the  Greek  spears  pressing  on, 
at  once  accommodated  itself,  responding  to  the  unequal  resistance, 
and  from  a  straight,  became  a  crooked,  sinuous,  or  undulating  line,  pre- 
senting gaps  and  exposed  flanks,  like  the  teeth  of  a  saw.  Into  these 
gaps  the  Roman  legionaries  (swordsmen)  cut  in  with  their  short,  deadly 
weapons,  against  which  the  long  unmanageable  Greek  spears  were 

552 


GEORGE    H.     THOMAS. 

helpless.  Thus,  the  common  sense  of  L.  ^milius  Paulus  decided  the 
fate  of  Greece  at  a  blow,  whereas  an  hour  before  the  Roman  legions 
accounted  themselves  nearly  if  not  actually  defeated. 

The  same  kind  of  common  sense,  which  amounts  to  genius,  il- 
lustrated Robert,  the  Bruce,  perhaps  under  every  aspect  "  the  greatest 
of  Scotchmen."  He  knew  tliat  every  success  won  over  his  brave 
countrymen  by  the  Southron  was  due  to  those  English  archers,  of 
whom  it  was  said  that "  each  one  of  them  carried  under  his  belt  twelve 
Scottish  lives."  TLiis  remark  referred  to  the  number  of  arrows  each 
bowman  had  disposed  ready  to  his  hand  on  going  into  action.  It  is 
well  to  remember,  here,  that  the  greatest  victories  which  England  ever 
won  were  due  to  these  viTy  archers,  a  militia,  a  reality,  not  a  name, 
which  has  had  no  parallel  and  only  a  faint  imitation  in  the  Norwegian 
skating  battalions,  the  Tyrolese  riflemen,  the  Swiss  national  levies, 
and  the  frontiersmen  of  America. 

Appreciating  this  peril,  Robert  Bruce  had  a  body  of  light  cavalry, 
ready  at  hand,  which  he  let  loose  upon  the  English  archers  as  soon 
as  they  came  into  action,  and  these  "  rough  and  ready  "  riders  cut  up 
the  bowmen  before  they  could  be  supported,  and  thereby  won  the 
decisive  battle  of  Banuockburn,  which  achieved  the  independence  of 
Scotland.  Strange  to  say,  with  such  an  example  before  them,  no 
subsequent  Scottish  commander  ever  profited  by  the  lesson,  and 
crushing  defeat,  following  upon  similar  national  disaster,  again  and 
again,  as  at  Hallidon  Hill,  Nevilles  Cross,  at  Flodden,  and  on  other 
flital  fields,  entailed  the  ruin  of  Scotland,  and  placed  it  at  the  mercy 
of  England.  Just  what  L.  ^lEmilius  Paulus  was  at  Pydna,  Bruce 
at  Bannockburn,  and  the  Regent  Murray  at  Crookstone,*  Thomas 
was  at  Mill  Spring. 

Men  judge  of  greatness  by  success,  which  Albert  Sydney  John- 
son said  "  is  a  hard  rule,  but  a  just  one."  If  this  nation  remembers 
that  Thomas  never  failed ;  that  whether  as  a  subordinate,  as  a  second 
in  command,  as  an  "Adlatus,"  or  ''AUer-ego,''  or  as  Commander-iu- 
cliief,  he  never  fiiiled,— what  estimate  must  the  American  people 

*  At  Crookstone,  13th  May,  1568,  the  key  point  of  the  field  was  the  pass  through 
the  village  of  Langside.  To  win  this  coin  of  vantage,  the  adherents  of  Mary,  Qneeu 
of  Scots,  hurried  forward  and  were  met  by  the  troops  of  the  Regent  Murray,  equally 
aware  of  the  advantages  of  the  locality.  The  Eegent,  however,  a  consummate  soldier, 
■while  urging  on  his  cavalrj',  had  the  foresight  to  mount  a  footman  behind  each 
trooper.  These  infantry  were  better  adapted  to  maintain  the  position  than  mounted 
troops,  and,  thus  brought  up,  held  it.  This  stratagem  was  one  of  the  chief  caui,es  of 
the  Regent's  success,  which  cost  Mary  throne  and  country,  and  eventually  her  life. 

553 


GEORGE     H.    THOMAS. 

put  upon  such  a  man  ?  Eveiy  other  general  during  the  war,  at  one 
time  or  another,  met  with  reverses  or  failures.  Criticism  can  debit 
no  failure  to  Thomas,— envy  no  reverse.  What  does  this  prove? 
"What  else  but  that  lie  was  a  God-chosen  instrument,  and,  as  such, 
the  grand  figure — the  first  man  of  the  war ! 

"  Oh  happy  the  man  around  whose  brow  he  (death)  wreaths  the 
bloody  laurels  in  the  glitter  of  victory." 

The  movements  which  led  to  the  battle  of  Mill  Spring  were  out 
of  the  general  plan  of  campaign  on  either  side,  and  produced  by  the 
independent  advance  of  a  detached  force  of  Confederates,  consisting 
of  two  brigades  of  infantry,  a  battery,  and  a  small  cavalry  brigade, 
to  invade  Kentucky  from  Tennessee.     At  that  time,  January,  1862, 
the  Rebellion  was  very  strong.     Its  front  line  stretched  along  the 
border  Slave  States,  Tennessee  in  its  full  possession,  and  Kentucky 
seriously  threatened  with  absorption.     McClellan  was  Commander- 
in-chief,  and  the  vicious  "  anaconda  "  strategy  of  attacking  with  nu^ 
merous    independent    armies   along  a  thousand-mile   fi-ontier,  was 
going   into  operation.     The   Confederate  Generals,  Crittenden  and 
Zollicoffer,  under  these  circumstances   marched  into  Kentucky  to 
the  south  bank  of  the  Curaberiand,  and  finally  crossed  it  and  camped 
at  Beech  Grove,  some  little  distance  north,  intrenching  their  posi- 
tion.    General  Thomas,  with  one  brigade,  had  advanced  meanwhile 
to  Logan's  Cross  Roads,  a  few  miles  north,  feeling  for  his  enemy. 
He  halted  at  the  fork  of  two  roads,  the  Somerset  and  Mill  Spring 
roads,  and  awaited  the  coming  up  to  his  help  of  Schoepf's  brigade 
from   Somerset     Rainy   weather  and  bad  roads  detained  Schoepf, 
and   Crittenden  very  wisely  decided   to   attack  Thomas,  while  he 
himself  was  two  to  one— 5,000  (Greeley),  8,000  "  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland,"— 6,700  Confederates  to  at  most  3,500  Unionists  in  presence. 
He   advanced   north   in   two   lines  —  ZoUicofl'er's   brigade   leading, 
Carroll's  following,  most  of  his  cavalry  in  reserve,  and  two  compa- 
nies skirmishing  in  advance.     They  found  but  two  Union  regiments, 
the   Fourth    Kentucky,   and   Tenth   Indiana,    with   a   battery   and 
squadron  to  oppose  them  at  first. 

The  Confederates  had  marched  at  midnight,  attacked  their  foe 
four  to  one  at  dawn,  but  not  by  surprise.  Thomas,  with  green 
troops  to  handle,  knew  the  necessity  of  avoiding  surpluses  ;  his  far 
outstretching  infantry,  and  still  more  advanced  cavalry  pickets,  gave 
timely  warning,  and  the  two  regiments,  with  the  battery,  held  their 
foes  in  check  till  eight  o'clock.     By  that  time  the  Second  Minnesota 

554 


GEORGE  H.  THOMAS. 

had  come  up  with  the  Nintli  Ohio,  and  the  four  regiments  were 
marched  up  in  line,  and  not  only  held  the  enemy,  but  finally  drove  him 
back.  One  more  regiment,  the  Twelfth  Kentucky,  reached  the  field 
while  the  front  was  still  botly  engaged,  and  Thomas  put  it  on  the 
left,  flanking  Crittenden's  right,  at  the  same  time  the  Ninth  Ohio 
charged  Crittenden's  left.  Thus,  swept  in  on  both  wings,  the  Confed- 
erates gave  way,  and  fled  in  confusion.  ZoUicofler  was  killed,  the 
whole  force  chased  into  camp,  which  they  abandoned  in  the  night, 
while  Thomas  captured  twelve  guns — two  on  the  field,  ten  inside 
the  works  (eleven  more  were  spiked  and  thrown  into  the  Cumber- 
land river),  one  hundred  and  fifty  wagons,  fifteen  hundred  horses 
and  mules,  tents,  etc. ;  in  fact,  every  stick  and  rag  that  belonged  to 
his  enemy,  except  their  clothes  and  muskets  with  which  they  fled. 

The  battle  was  gained  with  green  troops,  by  putting  them  in  a 
long  line  without  reserves,  extending  the  wings  and  flanking  the 
enemy  by  the  simplest  of  all  movements — a  wheel  inwards  (the  win- 
ning tactics  of  Canna3  by  Hannibal,  and  of  Zama  by  Scipio) ;  in  flxct, 
by  overwhelming  theu^  by  a  more  extensive  concentric  develop- 
ment and  consequent  weight  of  fire.  It  was  lost  by  Crittenden 
through  inferior  practice  of  his  artilleij,  and  fighting  on  too  small  a 
front.  Green  troops  in  reserve  to  support  other  green  troops  pi-oved 
useless.  The  first  rever.se  cowed  them,  and  they  only  swelled  the 
crowd  of  fugitives.  Put  in  one  line  and  used  as  Thomas  utilized 
his,  they  must  have  won  the  battle  from  'sheer  weight  of  fire.  As 
it  was,  they  lost  heart  at  Zollicoffer's  death,  fled  in  confusion,  laid 
Tennessee  open  to  our  arms,  and,  worst  of  all,  gave  the  Union  forces 
tlie  advantage  of  a  decided  victory,  which  raised  their  morale,  and 
lowered  that  of  the  Confederates  to  an  extent  from  which  they  never 
recovered  afterwards. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  estimate  too  highly  the  eifects  of  this 
success,  one  of  tlie  most  important,  if  not  actually  the  most  import- 
ant, achieved  by  tlie  national  arms.  It  broke  the  line  of  the  Con- 
federates in  Kentucky,  opened  a  door  of  deliverance  for  East  Ten- 
nessee, and  prepared  a  way  for  that  series  of  successful  operations 
by  which,  very  soon  after,  tlie  invaders  were  expelled  from  both 
States.  Well  might  the  Secretary  of  "War  conclude  his  thanks  in 
orders  by  declaring,  "  In  the  prompt  and  spirited  movements  and 
daring  at  Mill  Spring,  the  nation  will  realize  its  hopes." 

And  yet  a  subordinate  came  very  near  depdving  Thomas  of  the 
credit  of  this  triumph,   through  the  prejudice,  as  yet  entertained, 

555 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

toward  loyal  Virginians.  There  is  no  necessity  of  reviewing  tbe 
scandal,  but  on  this  occasion  even  Lincoln  was  unjust,  and  when  he 
learned  the  truth,  he  was  still  unwilling  to  reward  the  victor  as 
he  deserved.  The  President,  when  urged  to  repair  an  injustice 
founded  on  a  mistake,  said :  "  Thomas  is  a  Virginian,  he  can  afford  to 
wait ; "  and  he  did  have  to  wait,  receiving,  like  Kearny,  his  promo- 
tion among  a  batch  of  others  who  had  accomplished  nothing  com- 
mensurate to  his  triumph  at  Mill  S])ring.  This  fact  the  writer  had 
from  Thomas  himself;  and,  although  the  whole  occurrence  was  re- 
lated without  asperity,  the  tone  and  manner  demonstrated  that  even 
in  his  jjlacid  bosom  the  wrong  must  have  been  deeply  felt  at  the 
time ;  and  that  lapse  of  time  had  not  effaced  it  from  his  memory,  or 
soflened  its  bitterness. 

Seldom,  if  ever,  in  the  history  of  a  nation  and  a  great  war,  has 
a  pre-eminent  citizen  and  soldier  been  subjected  fi'om  first  to  last  to 
such  an  unintermittent  sequence  of  neglects  or  injustices  as  George 
"FT-  Thomas.  The  tardy  and  insufficient  recognition  of  his  saving 
success  at  Mill  Spring  has  been  already  referred  to.  This  he  strongly 
resented,  although  he  bore  it  with  the  same  calm  dignity  with  which 
be  continued  to  suffer  while  serving,  with  a  fidelity  almost  unexam- 
pled, under  similar  provocations.  The  reader  is  yet  to  learn  how 
the  government  continued  to  pursue  the  same  course  of  injustice  to- 
wards its  most  faithful  and  capable  servant.  While  others,  who 
had  accomplished  comparatively  nothing,  were  pushed  into  prom- 
inent positions,  Thomas  was  kept  in  such  subordinate  ones  that 
nothing  but  his  individual  force  of  character  could  have  brought 
him  into  proper  notice.  It  was  not  circumstances,  but  the  man  himself 
which  made  the  whole  Western  army  come  to  look  upon  him  as  a 
sort  of  palladium,  whose  very  presence  was  an  aegis  or  safeguard  at 
the  last  against  disaster.  So  it  was,  as  either  a  general  of  division 
or  in  command  of  the  right  wing  of  the  "  Army  of  the  Tennessee,"  he 
passed  through  the  resultless  forward  movements  which  eventuated  in 
the  ideal  siege  of  Corinth,  a  parallel  to  McClellan's  imaginary  siege  of 
Yorktown,  and  those  which  brought  the  national  forces  back  in  Sep- 
tember, 1862,  to  Louisville,  after  Buell  had  permitted  Bragg,  to  all 
appearance,  to  work  his  will  in  Tennessee  and  in  Kentucky.  When, 
at  Louisville,  Buell  worked  out  in  his  own  mind  a  new  jjlan  of  op- 
erations, and,  to  use  the  stereotyped  phrase,  "reorganized"  the  "Army 
of  the  Ohio,"  orders  came  from  Washington,  removing  Buell  and  ap- 
pointing Thomas  in  his   stead.     Thomas,  with    that  patriotic  self 

553 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

negation  which  was  the  prominent  characteristic  of  the  man,  tele- 
graphed back  to  the  administration  that  as  the  army  was  to  move  the 
next  day,  and  that  as  he  was  not  adequately  acquainted  with  Baell's 
plan  of  operations,  it  would  be  better  to  make  no  change  until  the  result 
of  Buell's  conceptions,  good  or  bad,  could  be  demonstrated.  How 
briefly  this  is  referred  to  in  tlie  report  of  Thomas  to  the  Hon.  Com- 
mittee on  the  Conduct  of  the  War,  the  following  paragraphs  will 
show : — 

"September  29th.  —  KeceiTed  orders  at  the  hands  of  Colonel  McKibben,  aide-de- 
camp staff  of  Major-General  Halleck,  commanding  United  States  Army,  assigning 
me  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio;  but  declining,  the  order  was  counter- 
manded. 

"  September  30th. —  Was  announced  as  second  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the 
Ohio  per  Special  Order  No.  159,  headquarters  Army  of  the  Ohio.  Continued  in  this 
position  throughout  the  campaign  in  Kentucky." — "Conduct  of  the  War."  Supplement, 
Part  I. ,  page  23. 

The  result  of  this  remonstrance  was  the  retention  of  Buell  in 
bis  command.  To  Thomas  was  assigned  the  supervision  of  the 
right  wing  of  the  army,  General  Gilbert  having  succeeded  him  in 
the  command  of  his  own  corps.  Mark  the  result.  After  the  next 
failure  at  Perryville  Buell  was  removed,  but  Thomass,  instead  of  being 
rewarded  for  his  fidelity  and  disinterestedness,  was  punished  for  Bu- 
ell's shortcomings,  and  Rosecrans,  a  new  man, — a  new  man,  however, 
worthy,  and  none  worthier, — was  appointed  in  Buell's  place,  and 
Thomas  left,  still,  in  a  secondary  position.  Just  the  same  thing  oc- 
curred after  Chickamauga.  When  Thomas  had  saved  everything,  he 
was  allowed  to  keep  the  bed  warm  for  Grant ;  and,  when  Grant  was 
transferred  to  the  East,  again  for  Sherman.  Again,  under  Sherman,  the 
plan  seems  to  have  been  to  exalt  McPherson  at  the  expense  of  Thomas, 
Finally,  after  Thomas  had  won  the  battle  that  .settled  the  matter  every- 
where, Sheridan  was  promoted  over  his  head.  This  was  the  last 
straw  which  broke  the  camel's  back  of  his  silent  forbearance,  and  the 
writer  fully  believes  but  for  this  promotion  Thomas  would  now  be 
alive.  One  remark  of  Thomas  will  serve  to  elucidate  what  the 
writer  desires  to  express.  He  once  remarked,  that  he  felt  annoyed 
that  it  was  necessary  to  inisist  upon  attention  being  paid  to  his 
wishes.  Now,  in  the  case  of  a  man  who  entertained  such  a  modest 
estimate  of  his  enormous  services,  it  seems  about  equivalent  to  say- 
ing he  did  not  obtain  justice  at  all.  As  to  the  importance  of  the  tri- 
umph achieved  by  Thomas  at  Nashville,  one  fact  will  have  to  suffice 

in  the  restricted  space  accorded  :  Colonel ,  Brev.  Brig. -Gen.  U. 

557 


GEORGE    H.    THOMAS. 

S.  A.,  wlio  was  in  command  of  a  district  at  tlie  far  South  at  the  time, 
stated  that  there  were  sixty  thousand  Southern  soldiers  who  were 
waiting  the  result  of  Hood's  operations  in  Tennessee,  to  determine 
their  future  action.  They  had  their  mu.^kets  and  equipments  ready 
to  take  the  field  again,  if  Hood  was  victorious.  When  the  news 
of  his  annihilation  reached  them,  they  put  away  their  arms  and 
equipments,  and  recognized  the  situation,  for  they  felt  the  game 
was  up. 

Finally,  contrast  the  independent  course  pursued  by  Thomas. 
When  others  were  accepting  houses  and  donations  and  benefactions, 
Thomas  refused  every  proffered  gift ;  and  would  not  even  allow  the 
members  of  his  staff  to  present  him  a  tea  service,  or  offer  it  to  his 
wife.  And  when  the  reform  Kebel  sentiment  in  the  Tennessee  Legis- 
lature led  that  body  to  disgrace  themselves  in  regard  to  his  portrait, 
which  their  loyal  predecessors  had  procured  and  placed  in  a  position 
of  honor  in  the  capitol,  he  wrote  to  them  to  send  him  the  picture, 
which  was  now  out  of  place  in  the  chamber  of  such  a  body,  and 
that  he,  out  of  his  limited  means,  would  restore  to  a  disloyal  territory 
what  a  loj'al  administration  had  expended  for  the  likeness  of  the 
man  who  had  preserved  Tennessee  to  the  Union,  and  the  nation 
itself  under  the  walls  of  Nashville.  Immortal  powers  !  what  self 
negation  and  manly  independence  characteiized  his  career  through- 
out. The  mythical  patriotism  of  a  Cato,  of  a  Cincinnatus,  or  a  Rega- 
ins, sinks  into  insignificance  before  such  real,  consistent  conduct  as 
that  of  Thomas.  Like  a  sun  in  the  heavens  he  moved  on  in  the 
majesty  of  his  glorious  oneness,  wliile  the  moons  were  revolving  iu 
their  borrowed  or  contributed  light. 

Not  a  dollar  that  he  drew  or  received  had  any  odor  but  that  of 
honest  guerdon  for  services  rendered ;  and,  obedient  to  the  precept 
of  the  inspired  prophet,  precursor  of  the  Great  Exemplar,  he  did 
"  violence  to  no  man,  and  was  content  with  his  wages."  Like  St. 
Paul,  he  was  beholden  to  no  man,  laboring  for  his  subsistence,  while 
the  salvation  of  many  people  was  due  to  his  integrity. 

Again  :  the  writer  had  a  letter  from  him  when  his  nomination  for 
the  Presidency  was  suggested  to  the  noble  citizen  and  soldier.  In 
this  the  manly  dignity  of  the  hero  shines  forth  in  its  accustomed 
lustre ;  and,  denied  the  position  iu  his  peculiar  line^the  generalship 
or  the  lieutenant-generalship,  which  was  only  due  to  his  great  ser- 
vices— he  refused  to  become  the  mere  instrument  of  partj^,  for  the 
manipulation  of  politicians,  doubtless  to  experience  the  fate  of  the 

558 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

honest  hero  of  Buena  Vista.  If  it  be  true  that  "consistency  is  a 
jewel,"  then  the  life  example  of  George  H.  Thomas  is  a  Koh-i-noor 
of  patriotic  and  dignified  light 

The  writer  enjoyed  a  very  peculiar  connection  with  Thomas, 
carried  on  through  a  desultory  correspondence  of  years  before  they 
met.  It  was  through  common  friends  that  the  intense  admiration, 
appreciation,  and  respect,  which  had  evoked  this  sketch,  was  developed 
into  something  akin  to  Celtic  hero-worship  by  personal  intercourse. 
Something  akin  to  this,  indeed,  was  felt  b}^  every  individual  capable  of 
appreciating  true  manhood,  who  came  in  contact  in  any  way  with 
Thomas.  One  day  the  .writer  said  to  a  common  friend  (Rosecrans), 
"Eosy,  Thomas  was  an  angel,  was  he  not?"  "Well," replied  the  mat- 
ter-of-fact victor  of  Stone  River,  "is  not  that  going  almost  too  far? 
I  cannot  exactly  say  that"  "Oh,  but  I  mean  as  near  to  an  angel  as  a 
mortal  man  can  be."     "  Yes,  I  agree  to  that" 

On  another  occasion,  conversing  with  one  of  our  most  brilliant 
corps-commandei's — one  who  held  a  position  next  to  command  in 
chief  at  a  gi'eat  crisis — the  crisis  according  to  general  opinion — and 
speaking  of  Thomas  and  Humphreys,  tiiis  "  superb "  soldier  re- 
marked :  "  When  you  have  said  all  you  can  in  praise  of  Thomas  and 
of  Humphreys,  you  have  told  all  that  is  to  be  said ;  there  is  nothing 
to  be  said  on  the  other  side — no  dispraise."  "  The  ablest  soldier  this 
country  ever  produced  "  are  the  words  of  a  letter  from  "  the  hero  of 
the  battle  above  the  clouds,"  and  victor  of  Lookout  Mountain. 

As  these  remarks  grew  out  of  a  reference  to  a  cori-espondence, 
the  following  letter  in  reply  to  me,  asking  Thomas  if  he  would  ac- 
cept a  nomination  for  the  Presidency,  would  seem  to  come  in  appro- 
priately here.  It  explains  itself,  and  is  so  characteristic  that  it  is 
extremely  interesting  from  its  demonstration  of  the  unselfish  patriot- 
ism of  the  great  soldier  at  a  time  when  almost  all  our  successful 
commanders  were  hoping  that  their  military  services  were  about  to 
prove  stepping-stones  to  political  promotion  or  the  profuser  emolu- 
ments of  political  office. 

Headquaeteks  Depahtment  of  the  Cumbeeland, 
Louisville,  (Kt.),  April  20,  1867. 
Genebal  J.  Watts  de  Petstek, 

59  East  T>oenty-I''ira  Street,  New  York  City. 

Dear  Sib:  I  r^  cciveJ  your  favor  of  the  9th  inst.  some  days  ago,  but  have  not 
had  time  to  reply  until  to-day. 

First,  you  must  permit  me  to  acknowledge  my  grateful  sense  of  your  kind  appre- 
ciation of  my  services;  and 

Second,  I  will  here  state,  and  hope  you  ■will  report  for  me  whenever  you  hear 

559 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

my  name  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States,  that 
I  never  will  consent  to  being  brought  before  the  people  as  a  candidate  for  any  office. 
I  have  too  much  regard  for  my  own  self-respect  to  voluntarily  place  myself  in  a 
position  where  my  jiersonal  and  private  character  can  be  assailed  with  impunity 
by  newspaper  men  and  scurrilous  political  pettifoggers  and  demagogues. 
Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Geobge  H.  Thomas. 

Of  all  the  battles  of  the  Great  AmericaD  Conflict,  the  finest  as 
to  resultiveness,  the  finest  as  to  execution,  the  finest  strategically  and 
tactically,  the  finest  as  a  study  and  as  an  example  to  be  referred  to 
and  cited  hereafter,  was  Nashville.  It  was  indeed  a  decisive  battle. 
It  was  the  Waterloo  of  the  four  years'  struggle.  Some  of  Sheridan's 
fights  approach  it  in  resultiveness,  but  cannot  compare  when  the 
forces  respectively  engaged  are  taken  into  consideration.  Nashville 
was  a  first-class  battle  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  A  soldier's  in- 
terest does  not  begin  with  the  fighting.  It  begins  far  back  with  the 
assembling  of  the  troops  in  methodical,  steady,  progressive  prepara- 
tions for  something  which  should  be  satisfactory  when  it  came  off; 
nor  does  it  end  with  the  fighting.  There  was  a  crash  and  a  dissolu- 
tion on  the  one  side,  and  an  instant  following  up  and  pursuit  on  the 
other,  of  which  there  are  but  few  instances  in  the  military  history  of 
the  Old  World.  According  to  a  friend  learned  in  military  lore,  the 
antecedents  to  the  battle  were  worthy  of  Napoleon,  supreme  in  strat- 
egy; to  which  opinion,  however,  tbe  writer  takes  this  exception. 
The  action  of  the  battle  was  rather  ^vorthy  of  Frederic,  incompara- 
ble in  tactics,  to  which  our  learned  fi-iend  accedes,  and  the  profiting 
by  what  had  been  fought  out  was  worthy  of  that  Blucher  who  mul- 
tiplied energy,  unsurpassed  by  a  patriotic  hatred  to  his  opponent, 
which  seemed  to  make  him  and  his  soldiers  in  a  great  measure  in- 
sensible to  fatigue,  want  of  food,  and  deprivation  of  sleep — hardest  to 
be  borne.  So  much  so,  that,  either  through  his  influence  or  the 
proverbial  "  Prussian  spur,"  the  very  horses  seem  to  become  patriotic. 
This  last  remark  refers  to  the  excuse  of  the  French  General  Nansouli  in 
Eussia,  "  that  he  could  appeal  to  the  patriotism  of  his  men  for  extra 
exertion,  but  that  their  horses  had  no  patriotism — the  only  appeal  iu 
such  cases  to  tlieni  was  corn,"  or  their  feed  in  general. 

It  has  always  been  considered  tiiat  the  campaign  of  Nashville 
was  a  part  and  parcel  of  Sherman's  grand  operation  of  ,1864.  A 
critical  examination  of  the  facts,  since  all  the  tixcts  have  become 
known,  will  hardly  bear  out  this  view  of  the  case.     When  Sherman 

560 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

wheeled  to  the  left  for  his  inarch  to  the  sea,  he  left  Thomas  as  inde- 
pendent a  part  to  play  as  that  which  he  reserved  for  himself,  and  a 
much  more  important  part,  since  all  that  he  had  to  do  was  to  march 
a  suflicient  and  well-adjusted  army  through  a  country  denuded  of 
military  defence ;  whereas  Thomas  had  to  create  and  organize  an 
army,  and  then  fight  a  desperate  antagonist.  While  collecting  his 
forces  for  this  battle,  Thomas  fell  under  the  disajiprobation  of  those 
who  never  pardoned  any  shortcomings  except  their  own.  The  great 
loyal  Virginian  bore  the  impatience  which  growled  in  his  rear  with 
the  same  equanimity  with  which  he  watched  the  fury  chafing  in  his 
front.  He  was  content  to  appear  to  be  besieged,  because  he  was  re- 
solved to  wait  until  he  got  a  "  good  read}',"  as  Rosecraus  expressed 
it,  and  because  he  knew  that  the  duration  (jf  the  siege  depended 
solely  upon  his  own  good-will  and  pleasure.  The  accumulation  of 
his  forces  very  much  resembled  the  gathering  of  a  thunderstorm 
around  the  peak  of  a  mountain — growing  darker  and  denser,  fear- 
ful to  contemplate,  while  the  surrounding  sky  is  still  serene,  and 
only  a  few  mui'ky  clouds,  floating  here  and  there,  disturb  the  smil- 
ing azure.  Then  comes  a  sheet  of  flame  which  blinds  the  eye,  quickly 
succeeded  by  a  crash  as  if  numerous  batteries  answered  batteries 
along  a  lengthened  line  of  battle.  The  eye  is  dazzled  with  the  ra- 
pidly succeeding  flashes,  the  earth  quakes  as  the  storm-cloud  de- 
scends amid  torrents  of  rain ;  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  day  has  almost  be- 
come night,  amid  the  roaring  of  the  waters,  the  howling  of  the  wind, 
and  the  gToaning  of  tiie  smitten  forests.  So  it  was  with  Nashville. 
The  country  stood  expectant  until  the  suspense  was  ominously  bur- 
deu.some.  Then,  almost  simultaneously  with  the  rousing  up  of  the 
lion  from  bis  cover,  the  country  recognized  what  awful  wrong  it  had 
done  to  Thomas  in  doubting  for  one  moment  his  capacity  to  grap- 
ple with  the  occasion,  and  convert  the  unavoidable  delay  into  such  a  tri- 
umphant issue  as  more  than  shamed  the  general  injustice  which  had 
dared  to  underestimate  that  glorious  man  who  could  bear  the  mis- 
calculation of  his  powei's  in  silence;  and  then,  in  the  fulness  of  time, 
strike  as  no  one  before  had  ever  struck  on  any  battle-field  during  the 
War  for  the  Union.  Another  circumstance  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration. This  battle  was  fought  in  the  depth  of  winter,  or  rather 
at  the  worst  pei'iod  of  the  year,  when  it  is  impossible  to  calculate 
what  the  ensuing  day  will  bring  forth,  while  yet  the  rigor  of  the  season 
is  certain  to  manifest  itself  in  phases  the  most  difficult  for  an  army 
to  overcome,  or  for  the  soldiery  and  their  animals  to  support. 

561 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

Perhaps  the  chief  cause  whicli  delayed  the  aggi'essive  of  Thomas  * 
■was  the  difficulty  experienced  in  remounting  his  cavalry, — that  ca- 
valry which  he  was  determined,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  should 
play  their  appropriate  part  in  disposing  of  the  enemy  after  they  had 
been  broken  up  by  the  infantry.  Even  as  it  turned  out,  he  was  not 
enabled  to  obtain  horses  for  more  than  3,000  to  4,000.  These  per- 
formed most  effective  service,  and  the  residue  rendered  very  efficient 
service  in  another  way,  acting  as  a  sort  of  light  infantry. 

Hood  having  escaped  from  Sherman  at  Atlanta,  after  menacing 
the  long  line  of  communication  of  the  army  which  had  so  signally 
defeated  him  under  the  defences  of  that  place,  struck  off  on  a  tan- 
gent, that,  had  there  been  no  Thomas  in  its  way,  might  have  com- 
pletely stultified  the  saying  attributed  to  Sherman,  that  if  Hood 
would  only  pursue  the  course  which  he  had  evidently  marked  out 
for  himself,  he  (Sherman)  would  willingly  furnish  him  with  rations 
to  enable  him  to  run  his  race  of  recklessness. 

If  any  evidence  was  needed  to  prove  the  incapacity  of  Davis  to 
arrive  at  a  correct  judgment  of  men  and  estimate  them  at  their  pro- 
per value,  it  was  in  his  substitution  of  Hood  for  Joseph  E.  Johnston, 
the  greatest  general  of  the  Confederacy,  a  head  and  shoulders  taller 
in  regard  to  ability  than  any  other  commander  which  the  Confeder- 
acy possessed.  Davis,  in  the  exhibition  of  his  favoritism,  had  com- 
mitted fatal  errors, — fatal  as  respected  the  immediate  events  which 
depended  on  his  appointments.  Pendleton  had  cost  him  Vicksburg 
and  the  valley  proper  of  the  Mississippi ;  Bragg  had  lost  him  East- 
ern Tennessee,  of  a  value  almost  incalculable  to  the  Confederacy,  as 
a  loss  irreparable,  and  Chattanooga,  the  key  to  that  middle  zone, 
whose  possession  threw  open  the  door  to  the  armed  flood  which 
burst  the  rebel  States  asunder. 

On  December  2d,  1864,  Hood  sat  down  before  Nashville,  him- 
self deluded  with  the  idea  that  he  was  investing  Thomas,  while  that 
sturdy  old  warrior  was  quietly  getting  ready  to  give  him  his  quietus. 
This,  when  he  had  his  forces  in  hand,  he  did  indeed  give,  and  dis- 
posed of  tlie  Confederacy  as  an  armed  power  west  of  the  Alleghanies. 
The  contrast  oi'  the  rash  presumption  of  Hood  and  the  thoughtful 
calmness  of  Thomas  would  almost  justify  a  .smile  had  it  not  involved 
the  death  and  mutilation  of  so  many  brave  men. 

Hood's  line  constituted  an  obtuse  angle  along  the  crest  of  a  curve 
of  hills,  with  its  right  resting  on  the  Nolensville  Pike,  its  left  on  the 
Hillsborough  Pike,  at  Brentford  Hills, — both  wings  separated  by  quite 

562 


G  E  0  K  G  E     n .     THOMAS. 

a  long  inteiTal  from  tbe  river.  The  wliole  line  presented  a  front  of 
six  to  seven  miles,  whose  apex  was  on  Montgomery  Hill,  not  over 
two  hundred  3'ards  fi-om  that  of  Thomas's,  and  consequently  in  the 
immetliate  presence  of  our  troops,  with  both  wings  refused.  Hood's 
force  was  at  least  40,000  old  troops,  veterans  iu  the  real  sense  of  the 
word,  aggregated  from  diiFereut  corps,  besides  good  cavalry.  Accurate 
judges  increase  this  to  42,000  in  line.  Stiong,  liowever,  as  Hood 
was  in  the  number  and  excellence  of  his  troops,  these  did  not  pre- 
sent, by  any  means,  all  the  startling  difficulties  that  Thomas  had  to 
overcome.  Captain  Lipjjett,  in  his  "  Treatise  on  Intrenchments,"  fur- 
nishes a  good  idea  of  Hood's  prepai-ations.  To  avoid  the  chance  of 
exaggerating  the  dangers  vanquished  by  the  Union  troops,  let  him 
tell  the  story  : — 

"  At  the  battle  of  Nashville,  the  Confederate  General  Hood  had  carefully  chosen 
two  positions,  one  in  rear  of  the  other,  in  which  to  receive  our  attack  ;  and  Hood 
employed  much  time  aud  labor  in  intrenching  them.  Hii5  first  line  was  six  miles  in 
length,  stretching  over  the  %vooded  sides  and  crests  of  a  series  of  high  hills,  which 
were  covered  with  breastworks,  rifle-i^its,  and  abattis,  with  guns  sweeping  all  the 
approaches.  But  on  the  first  day  of  the  battle,  this  formidable  line  was  made  un- 
tenable by  his  left  being  smashed  in  and  turned,  — couipellin,g  him  to  fall  back  to  his 
second  line,  which  was  only  three  miles  in  length,  but  stronger,  because  more  con- 
centrated; nevertheless,  on  the  second  day,  by  the  turning  of  his  flank  and  rear  by 
Wilson's  Cavalry,  combined  with  Smith's  and  Schotield's  attack  00  his  left,  he  was 
forced  to  abandon  his  defences,  and  his  retreat  soon  became  a  Waterloo  rout." 

The  Union  line  had  a  less  flattened  formation,  much  nearer  to  a 
right  angle,  with  the  angle  rounded  off!  This  line  was  very  strong, 
since  every  commanding  jjosition  was  occupied  by  a  fort  or  a  re- 
doubt. At  first  Steedman"s  provisional  (so  to  speak)  corps  held  the  ex- 
treme left,  and  Schofield's  Twenty-third  corps  the  Union  left  centre ; 
Wood's  Fourth  corps  was  in  the  centre  ;  A.  J.  Smith  on  the  right ; 
Wilson,  with  his  cavalry,  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  line.*  Thomas, 
with  his  staff,  occupied  a  prominent  position  on  a  hill  abput  the  cen- 
tre-front, overlooking  the  whole  field  of  battle,  and  thence  lie  dispatched 
his  aids  and  orderlies  with  orders  for  the  movements  in  accordance 

*  It  has  always  been  a  vexed  question  as  to  how  many  available  troops  Thomas 
had  in  this  "big  fight."  Col.  Stone,  formerly  Asst.-Adjt. -Gen.  to  Thomas,  calculates 
the  actual  strength  of  the  Union  army  on  this  field  at  35,000,  although  nominally 
there  were  43,000.  It  was  thus  composed:  1,  Steedman's  provisional  (so  to  speak) 
corps,  middling  troops,  colored,  convalescents  8,000— really  6,000;  '2.  Schofield's 
23d  corps,  or  "Army  of  the  Ohio,"  good,  10,000— really  8,000;  3,  Wood's  4th  corps, 
good,  10,000— really  8,000;  4,  A.J.  Smith's  13th  corps,  A.  No.  1,  8,000-8,000;  5, 
Wilson's  Cavah-y,  used  as  a  rule  here  as  lufantiy,  7,000  -reaUy  5,000.  An  average  ol 
the  estimate  on  paper,  43,000,  and  under  arms  35,000,  would  give,  according  to  Stone's 

563 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

with  the  plan  discussed  and  i-esolved  upon  the  previous  evening, 
which  acted  like  clock-work  and  as  effectually  as  a  series  of  Krupp's 
twenty,  thirty,  and  fifty-ton  trip-hammers  striking  in  as  predeter- 
mined. 

Hood's  attention  was  invited  to  our  left  and  riveted  upon  our 
centre  where  the  antagonistic  lines  drew  nearest  together.  Then  the 
Union  right  swung  forward,  A.  J.  Smith  attacking ;  Wilson's  Cav- 
alry likewise  attacking,  and,  at  the  same  time,  turning;  while  a 
smaller  independent  force  of  cavalry  were  holding  a  body  of  Confed- 
erate horse  in  check  which  menaced  our  right  outermost  lines,  ungar- 
nished  by  the  forward  sweep  of  that  wing. 

As  soon  as  Ilood  began  to  perceive  what  was  going  on  on  his 
left,  he  withdrew  troops  from  that  portion  of  his  line  to  reinforce 
the  menaced  wing.  Thomas,  foreseeing  that  this  would  occur,  slipped 
Schofield  over  to  the  right  of  Wood,  and  massed  his  corps  under 
cover  ;  and  his  place  on  the  left  of  our  line  was  filled  with  quarter- 
master's troops — good  men  enough,  but  unacclimated  to  the  bitter 
heat  of  battle,— troops  which  had  hitherto  constituted  the  garrison  of 
the  city.  As  soon  as  the  Confederate  left  began  to  roll  up  under  Wil- 
son's attack  and  crack  under  the  pressure  of  A.  J.  Smith,  Wood  went 
in  upon  the  centre,  which  crumbled  under  his  blows  and  those  of  Scho- 
field. Thus  Steedman's  aggregated  command  had  done  good  work. 
Their  initiative  operations  against  the  Confederate  right,  although  that 
right  was  able  to  oppose  a  strenuous  resistance,  had  a  decisive  effect  on 
the  result,  since  it  attracted  Hood's  attention.     Finding  his  left  so 

calculation,  38,000.  Some  of  the  Cavalry  (Hammond's  division)  did  not  cross  tbe 
river,  but  remained  at  Edgefield.  Wilson  had  the  divisions  of  Johnson,  Knipe,  and 
Hatch.  McCook's  division  had  gone  up  into  Kentucky  after  the  rebel  general 
Lyon. 

The  officer  who  prepared  the  statement  of  Thomas'  operations  for  the  Cougres- 
eioual  "Report  of  the  Conduct  of  the  War,  Supplement,  Part  I,"  says:  '•Thomas' 
effective  force  in  front  of  Nashville  numbered  42,000;  that  of  the  enemy  being  aboat 
the  same— if  any  thing,  a  little  greater  than  our  own." 

"Commencing  on  the  right,  the  Cavalry  (mounted  and  dismounted)  under  .1.  H. 
Wilson,  about  8,000;  A.  J.  Smith's  corps  (the  ITth)  about  12,000;  T.  J.  Wood's 
corps  (the  l4th,  and  formerly  Stanl  y's)  about  11,000;  and  on  the  left  of  Wood  was 
a  provisional  division  of  about  5,000  men,  under  J.  B.  Steedman,  comprising  col- 
ored troops,  convalescents  from  hospitals,  stragglers  from  Sherman's  columu,  hundred 
day  troops  and  odds  and  ends  generally;  our  losses  during  the  two  days  of  battle 
were  less  than  3,000;  that  of  the  enemy  was  84  guns,  taken  by  assault,  many  battle- 
flags,  and  about  6,000  prisoners.  From  the  opening  of  the  fight  by  Steudman  on  our 
left,  to  its  close  by  breaking  the  enemy's  centre.  General  Thomas'  written  order-of- 
battle  was  adhered  to,  and  the  battle  itself  went  off  like  a  written  i>lay  at  a  theatre." 

564 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

rougbly  handled  and  bis  right  holding  firm,  he  weakened  his  right 
in  a  gi-eat  degree  to  strengthen  the  opposite  wing,  subjected  to  the 
tirst  sliock  heavy  enough  to  stagger  him.  "With  the  smashing  in  of 
Ilood's  centre,  the  keystone  of  the  Confederate  arcli  was  knocked  out, 
and  the  curve,  already  shaky  with  the  pressure  at  other  points,  crum- 
bled at  once.  With  the  setting  sun  and  rapidly  succeeding  darkness, 
the  day's  work  was  complete  and  well  ended. 

The  gain  in  prisoners  and  trophies  were  sufficient  to  attest  that 
Thomas  had  won  what  the  Generals  at  the  East,  and,  in  fact,  almost 
every  General,  except  one  of  the  first  two  classes — which  embrace 
only  such  very  few  captains — would  have  claimed  as  a  decided  vic- 
tory, for  the  world  esteems  the  occupancy  of  the  battle-field  a  victory. 
Add  to  this  the  capture  of  numerous  prisoners,  guns,  and  some 
colors,  and  the  unreflecting  masses  toss  up  their  hats  and  shout  a 
most  glorious  triumph.  Thomas,  like  all  great  generals,  did  not  con- 
sider that  he  had  done  sufficient  to  cry,  •'  Hold,  enough  !"  while  any- 
thing remained  to  be  done,  and  Hood  was  too  resolute  a  man,  and 
his  troops  were  too  good  soldiers  to  yield  the  palm  while  there  was 
still  enough  coliesion  among  them  to  hold  them  up,  and  enough 
discipline  to  enable  Hood  to  draw  up  the  Confederate  A]-my  of  the 
Tennessee  for  another  trial. 

Hood  gathered  up  his  army  as  well  as  he  was  able,  and  disposed 
them  along  the  crest  of  a  second  curve  of  elevations,  the  Harpetb 
Hills,  several  miles  further  to  the  rear,  and  about  five  miles  south  of 
Nashville,  presenting  very  much  the  same  general  formation  as  that 
which  his  army  had  assumed  on  the  15th.  This  new  line  was  about 
three  miles  in  extent,  from  wing  to  wing.  Thomas  now  again  re- 
peated the  same  series  of  manoeuvres,  which,  admirably  executed, 
had  been  so  eminently  successful  on  the  15th.  The  struggle  on  the 
i6th  was  more  bloody  than  that  of  the  preceding  day,  but  the  result 
was  the  same.  Pressed  on  the  left  by  Smith,  turned  and  rolled  up 
on  the  extreme  left  by  Wilson,  forced  in  on  the  right  by  Smith  and 
Schofield,  and  tapped  in  the  centre  again  by  Post,  Wood,  and  Steed- 
man's  colored  troops,  each  eft'ort  being  made. coherently  and  in 
accordance  with  plan  and  orders, — this  time  the  Confederate  line  not 
only  crumbled,  but  went  to  wreck. 

Pollard,  Confederate  historian,  says:  "  A  stampede  suddenly  took 
place  in  one  of  his  (Hood's)  divisions,  and  the  day  was  lost  in  a  mo- 
ment." ("  The  Last  Year,"  XX.,  423.)  The  Confederate  army  went 
^streaming  off  toward  Duck  River,  jostling,  jarring,  dashing  itself  to 

565 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

pieces  like  old  ice,  cake  against  cake,  field  against  field,  all  broken 
up,  driven  and  jumbled,  by  a  sudden  and  tremendous  spring-freshet. 
"  The  break  in  Bates's  division,"  again  observes  Pollard,  "  was  the  sig- 
nal for  a  general  panic  in  Hood's  army.  The  moment  a  small  break 
was  made  in  his  lines,  the  whole  of  two  corps  unaccountably  and  in- 
stantly fled  from  their  ditches,  most  of  them  without  firing  a  gun.  It 
was  a  disgraceful  retreat.  Fifty  pieces  of  artillery  and  nearly  all  of 
Hood's  ordnance-wagons  were  left  to  the  enemy.  Oui-  loss  in  killed 
and  wounded  was  disgracefully  small ;  and  it  was  only  through  want 
of  vigor  in  Thomas's  pursuit  that  Hood's  shattered  and  demoralized 
army  effected  its  retreat.  He  finally  made  his  escape  across  the 
Tennessee  River,  with  the  remnant  of  his  army,  having  lost,  from  va- 
rious causes,  more  than  ten  thousand  men,  half  of  his  generals,  and 
nearly  all  of  his  artillery.  Such  was  the  disastrous  issue  of  the 
Tennessee  campaign,  which  put  out  of  existence,  as  it  were,  the 
splendid  army  that  Johnson  had  given  up  at  Atlanta,  and  terminated 
forever  the  whole  scheme  of  Confederate  defence  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies." 

And  thus  Nashville  was  made  by  Thomas  one  of  those  victories 
which  can  hold  up  its  head,  and  claim  as  to  consequences  there, 
elsewhere,  and  everywhere,  to  take  rank  with  Kocroy,  Leipsic,  Witt- 
stock,  Janikau,  Rosbach,  Lissa,  Jena,  Torgau,  Fleurens,  Laon, 
and  Waterloo.  Thomas  had  shown  so  much  ability,  and  had  taken 
such  prompt  advantage  of  every  mistake  on  the  part  of  his  adver- 
sary, that  Hood's  rout  had  no  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  war. 
Had  Hood  held  his  cavalry  in  hand,  the  result  might  have  been 
3uodified  in  a  small  degree,  but  not  sufficiently  modified  to  change 
the  grand  result.  He  committed  the  same  error  of  which  Lee  had 
been  guilty  at  Gettysburg,  when  the  latter  allowed  J.  E.  B.  Stuart 
and  his  cavalry  to  get  altogether  out  of  his  reach,  so  that  they  ef- 
fected nothing,  and  could  not  work  in  together,  at  the  appropriate 
place,  in  time.  Even  so  Hood  had  previously  blundered  before  At- 
lanta, in  detaching  Wheeler  with  his  cavalry — a  most  important 
element  of  success — and  had  suffered  accordingly.  And  even  as  in  the 
presence  of  Slierman.  Hood  had  let  go  his  hold  upon  Wheeler,  even 
so,  again,  before  Thomas,  the  Confederate  commander  sent  ofi'  Forrest 
on  a  "  bootless  errand,"  and  allowed  him  to  get  beyond  his  control. 
Doubtless  it  had  a  very  serious  and  disastrous  effect  upon  the  for- 
tunes of  the  rebel  "  Army  of  the  Tennessee."  For  this  Hood  could 
blame  no  one  but  himself     Thomas  also  experienced  a  drawback  in 

566 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

the  absence  of  a  sufficient  bridge-train.  This  lack,  bowever,  was  in 
no  wise  chargeable  to  him.  In  the  same  way  that  Burnside  was 
crippled  in  December,  1862,  through  the  absence  of  pontoons,  a  lack 
chargeable  at  Washington,  the  pursuit  bv  Thomas  was  seriously  im- 
peded, at  first,  especially,  at  Rutherford's  Creek.,  and  then  at  Duck 
Elver.  Thus  a  loss  of  three  days  was  occasioned  by  a  deficiency  in 
transportable  bridge  material,  in  whicli  branch  Thomas  had  not  been 
able  to  complete  his  preparations.  The  engineers'  train  of  Thomas 
had  been  rendered  (perhaps  necessarily)  imperfect,  to  perfect  Sher- 
man's an-angements  for  the  march  to  the  sea.  All  historians  are 
aware  that  the  possession  of  an  ample  bridge-train  enabled  Rudolph, 
of  Hapsburg,  to  cross,  promptly,  the  Danube  in  1276,  and  settle  the 
fate  of  his  rival,  Ottocar,  of  Bohemia.  Tiius,  a  few  pontoons  may  be 
said  to  have  secured  the  imperial  crown  of  Germany  for  nearly  six 
centuries  to  the  House  of  Hapsburg. 

The  absence  of  a  sufficient  train  with  the  Union  army  alone 
enabled  Hood's  crumbled  wrecks  to  escape  utter  annihilation.  As 
an  organized  force,  the  rebel  Army  of  the  Tennessee  had  made  its 
last  campaign,  and  fought  its  last  battle.  "When  tlie  year  1864 
went  out,  (this)  the  Confederate  army  of  the  West  may  he  said  to 
have  expired  with  it,"  and  one  army,  or  gi-and  military  quantity, 
was  blotted  out  from  the  war  equation.  The  Count  of  Paris,  in  bis 
history  of  our  Civil  War,  applies  identically  the  same  language  to 
the  result  of  Mill  Spring — the  first  triumph  achieved  by  Thomas — as 
that  which  almost  universal  consent  considers  as  due  to  his  last. 
The  Count  says :  "  the  Confederate  army  was  annihilated  "  (page 
294,  Vol.  II.  -'Histoire  de  la  Guerre  Civile  en  Amerique,"  par  M.  le 
Comte  de  Paris,  1874). 

The  great  generalship  of  Thomas  had  ended  the  business  west 
of  the  Alleghanies,  and  the  battle  of  Nashville  had  amputated  the 
left  leg  at  the  hip  and  the  left  arm  at  the  shoulder  of  this  stu- 
pendous Rebellion.  Indeed,  it  is  not  claiming  too  much  to  say  that 
Virginia's  great  loyal  son  decided  the  rebellion  itself  in  the  two  days' 
battle  he  planned  and  fought  on  the  loth  and  16th  of  December, 
1864,  on  the  banks  of  the  Cumberland. 

It  is  said  that  in  the  majority  of  cases,  it  is  almost  sufficient  to 
narrate  the  prominent  incidents  of  the  careers  of  great  men  and  the 
results  thereof,  to  furnish  their  best  biographies. 

The  rule  referred  to  is  eminently  true,  where  men  have  filled  such 
peculiar  po.sitions  that  their  individuality  was  not  obscured  by  facti- 

567 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

tious  surroundings.     Very  often  the  greatest  of  men,  of  whom  "  the 
world  knows  nothing,"  are  the  imperceptible  souls  which  animate 
huge  masses  of  clay,  thus  realizing  the  idea  of  St.  Paul,  that  the  things 
which  are  not  seen   far  transcend  in  glory  those  that  are  visible. 
The  reason  is,  that  which  is  seen  is  merely  earthy,  while  that  which 
is  invisible  (except  through  its  effects),  like  the  influence  of  Thomas, 
is,  to  use  the  words  of  the  great  historian  Arrian  in  regard  to  Alex- 
ander, "an  evidence  of  the  direct  interposition  of  God  through  man." 
How  little,  for  instance,  does  the  world  know  of  Marshal  Traun, 
to  whom  Frederic  the  Great  acknowledged  that  he  "  went  to  school  " 
in  the  art  of  war.    Traun  was  an  "  Adlatus,"  or  an  "  Alter-Ego,"  or  di- 
recting chief  of  staii",  a  "  military  dry-nurse,"  as  Carlyle  styles  him,  to 
whom  Austria  owed  all  her  triumphs  about  a  century  and  a  quarter 
since— triumphs  attributed  in  history  to  members  of  the  imperial 
house.     Traun  was  to  his  arch-ducal  superiors  exactly  what  Von 
Bluraenthal  has   been  in   Prussia's  later  wars  to  the  Crown    Prince 
of   Prussia.     About  such  was  Thomas  for  the  long  period  of  his 
career  to  more  than  one  superior,— acting  in  one  campaign,  as  he 
smilingly  observed  to  the  writer,  "as  a  balance-wheel."     Fortunate 
for  the°country  that  our  western  armies  had  such  "a  balance  wheel." 
This  egotism— if  such  a  defect  as  egotism  could  find  sufficient 
nutriment  to  continue  to  exist  in  a  nature  so  simple,  modest,  and 
truthful  as  that  of  Thomas— expresses  little  more  than  what  Sherman 
is  said  to  have  remarked   in  an  exigency  or  a  tight  place,  after  he 
had  sent  Thomas  back  to  Nashville.     "  I  wish  old  Thorn  was  here. 
He's  my  off- wheel  base,  and  knows  how  to  pull  with  rae,  though  he 
don't  pull  in  the  same  way." 

Always  necessarily  restricted  as  to  space  in  the  present  work,  it 
is  impossible  to  enter  into  a  consideration  of  the  continual  influence 
exercised  by  Thomas  in  all  the  battles  in  which  he  held  a  subor- 
dinate position.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  effect  of  his  presence 
and  co-operation  in  all,  no  one  can  diminish  fiis  glory  in  the  first  and 
last  fields  on  whicli  he.  appeared— Mill  Spring  and  Nashville. 
There  Providence  allowed  him  to  act  alone,  and  entirely  for  himself. 
It  is  in  such  a  case  as  either  of  these,  as  Schiller  indicated  in  his 
famous  "  Troopers    Song  "  in  "  Wallenstein's  Camp,"  that  a  soldier 

and  a  general  is  tried. 

"  i'or  there  a  man  feels  the  pride  of  his  force, 
.And  there  is  the  heart  of  him  tried  ; 
No  help  to  him  there  by  another  is  shown, 
He  stands  for  himself  and  himself  alone. " 
568 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

Rosecraus  summed  Thomas  up  nobly  in  his  report  of  the  tattle 
of  Stone  River,  or  Murfreesborough,  "  as  true  and  prudent,  distin- 
guished in  counsel,  and  on  many  battle-fields  for  his  courage." 
Again,  in  his  report  of  Chickamauga :  "  To  Major-General  Thomas, 
the  true  soldier  and  incorruptible  patriot,  the  thanks  and  gratitude 
of  the  country  are  due  for  his  conduct  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga." 
But  what  needed  Thomas  the  praise  of  any  man?  His  best  praise 
is  his  consistent  life.  That  there  is  "  no  dispraise  "  to  be  spoken  of 
him,  such  is  his  greatest  eulogy. 

In  regard  to  the  account  herein  following,  of  Nashville,  two  cu- 
rious facts  are  notable  connected  with  it.  The  position  of  the  troops 
and  their  movements  were  indicated  by  a  few  pencil-dashes  on  a 
scrap  of  paper  by  Major-General  Zealous  (significant  and  appropriate), 
B.  Tower  (equaUy  expressive).  Chief  Engineer  to  Thomas.  Notwith- 
standing these  rapid  indications  were  so  clear,  that  from  them,  as 
from  stenographic  symbols,  the  writer  was  subsequently  enabled  to 
complete  his  narrative  as  fast  as  the  pen  could  run.  The  proofs  were 
then  submitted  to  Thomas,  and  handed  back  by  him  without  cor- 
rection as  to  fact,  and  with  only  a  few  verbal  alterations.  A  portion 
of  these  proofs  were  rescued  from  the  ruthless  hand  of  the  pnnter, 
and  have  been  preserved  as  precious  mementoes  of "  our  greatest, 
with  the  least  pretence."  Rosecrans,  who  was  deeply  interested  in 
the  preservation  of  the  opinions  of  Thomas,  declared  with  great  feel- 
ing, that  it  was  positively  wicked  not  to  have  written  down  the 
words  of  Thomas,  during  an  evening  expressly  devoted  to  a  critical 
examination  of  the  campaigns  in  which  he  participated.  His  words 
were  veritable  strictures  upon  several  deemed  above  ci-iticism  by 
their  countrymen.  Unfortunately,  a  sudden  and  severe  attack  pre- 
vented the  writer  from  keeping  the  next  appointment  when  notes 
were  to  be  taken  of  the  conversation,  and  sickness  compelled  a  pre- 
cipitate return  home  for  medical  treatment.  Before  convalescent, 
Thomas  had  left  Washington;  and,  to  his  lasting  sorrow,  they  never 

met  again. 

In  reviewing  the  Atlanta  Campaign,  Thomas  certainly  expressed 
opinions  which  justified  the  conclusion,  to  use  the  words  of  Ten- 
nyson, that 
•>         '  ..  gome  one  had  blundered. 

Thomas  said  that  when  Sherman  lay  looking  Joseph  E.  Johnston 
in  the  eye  at  Dalton,  he  went  to  his  superior,  and  said :  "  Sherman, 
let  me  take  the  '  Army  of  the  Cumberland,'  move  through  Snake 

569 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

Creek  Gap,  and  get  in  tbe  rear  of  Johnston.  He  must  come  out  and 
fight  me,  and  I  can  whip  him  with  the  '  Army  of  the  Cumberland,' 
alone.  But,  worst  for  worst,  if  he  should  get  the  better  of  me,  you 
can  come  upon  him  with  the  Armies  of  the  Tennessee  and  the  Ohio, 
and,  between  us,  we  can  rub  him  out  His  men  will  take  to  the 
mountains,  but  he  must  abandon  his  artillery  and  trains,  and  there 
will  be  an  end  of  the  matter."  "No,"  replied  Sherman  ;  the  '  Army 
of  the  Tennessee'  are  better  marchers  than  the  'Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland,' and  I  am  going  to  send  McPherson."  On  learning  this,  I 
put  on  my  hat  and  returned  to  my  quarters,  for  I  saw  the  game  was 
up.  You  know  the  result ;  McPherson  was  stopped  by  a  brigade, 
went  to  digging,  and  Johnston  slipped  by,  and  so  it  was  down  to 
Atlanta.* 

"  As  for  the  '  March  to  the  Sea,'  there  was  nothing  to  stop 
Sherman  from  going  where  he  chose.  I  said  to  him,  'Let  me 
take  the  '  Army  of  the  Cumberland,'  and  I  will  go  wherever  you  in- 
dicate— to  Mobile,  to  Savannah.'  Nothing  could  have  prevented  me ; 
but  he  chose  to  send  me  back  to  Nashville,  and  I  obeyed,  as  I 
always  did. 

"  While  I  was  getting  a  '  good  ready  '  at  Nashville,  Grant's  com- 
munications and  telegrams  used  sometimes  to  nettle  me.  At  timea 
I  thought  I  would  telegraph  back,  '  If  you  want  me  to  go  out  at 

•  "Shortly  after  his  (Sherman's)  assignment  to  the  command  ot  the  military  divis- 
ion of  the  Mississippi,  General  Sherman  came  to  see  me  at  Chattanooga,  to  consult 
as  to  the  position  of  affairs,  and  adopt  a  plan  for  a  spring  campaign.  At  that  inter- 
view I  proposed  to  General  Sherman  that  if  he  would  use  McPherson's  and  Scho- 
field's  armies  to  demonstrate  on  the  enemy's  position  at  Dalton  by  the  direct  roads 
through  Buzzard  Roost  Giip  and  from  the  direction  of  Cleveland,  I  would  throw 
my  whole  force  through  Snake  Creek  Gap,  which  I  knew  to  be  unguarded,  fall  upon 
the  enemy's  communications  between  Dalton  and  Eesaca,  thereby  turning  his  posi- 
tion completely,  and  force  him  either  to  retreat  toward  the  east,  through  a  difficult 
country,  poorly  supplied  with  provisions  and  forage,  with  a  strong  probability  of 
total  disorganization  ot  his  force,  or  attack  me,  in  which  latter  event  I  felt  confident 
that  my  army  was  sufficiently  strong  to  beat  him,  especially  as  I  hoped  to  gain  a 
position  on  his  communications  before  he  could  be  made  aware  of  my  movement 
General  Sherman  objected  to  this  plan  for  the  reason  that  he  desired  my  ai-my  to 
form  the  reserve  of  the  united  armies,  and  to  serve  as  a  rallying  point  for  the  two 
wings,  the  '  Army  of  the  Ohio '  and  that  '  of  the  Tennessee '  to  operate  from. 

"  (Later,  when  the  campaign  m  Georgia  was  commenced,  the  •  j\rmyof  the  Ten- 
nessee '  was  sent  through  Snake  Creek  Gap  to  accomplish  what  I  had  proposed  doing 
with  my  army,  but  not  reaching  Snake  Creek  Gap  before  the  enemy  had  informed 
himself  of  the  movement,  McPherson  was  unable  to  get  upon  his  communications 
before  John8t<m  had  withdrawn  part  of  his  forces  from  Dalton,  and  had  made  dis- 
positions to  defend  Kesaca.")—"  Condurt  0/  the  War."    Supplement,  Part  I.     Report  of 

Major-General  Thomas,  patie  201-2. 

570 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

Hood  with  inferior  forces,  wby  don't  you  go  in  at  Lee  with  such 
superior  forces  ?  '  But  I  am  not  given  to  writing  or  telegraphing,  and 
so  I  kept  quiet ;  and  when  I  thought  I  was  ready  I  attacked  Hood, 
and  I  think  the  result  justified  me." 

"  General  Thomas,  if  you  had  been  superseded  what  would  have 

been  the  result  ?  " 

As  the  answer  to  this  in  the  words  of  Thomas  (his  modest 
manner  gave  a  significance  and  meaning  to  his  words  which 
cannot  he  expressed  on  paper),  if  given  verbatim  might  appear 
egotistical  to  those  who  did  not  know  him,  sufiicient  to  say  he 
intimated  that  his  army  would  not  have  fought  as  it  did  under  any 

one  but  him.      * 

In  the  Tribune  of  the  19th  March,  1870,  an  ai-ticle  appeared 
signed  "Another  Man,"  answering  a  previous  publication  appa- 
rently reflecting  upon  Thomas.  It  was  so  pertinent  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  forbear  partial  quotation.  It  concludes  as  follows  :  "  And 
however  great  the  merits  of  Schofield  or  Logan  or  General  Grant  hhn- 
self,  nobody  who  knows  what  that  army  was,  and  what  its  failings  were, 
will  dare  dispute  the  fact  that  his  (Thomas')  removal  would  have 
proved  a  great  if  not  a  fatal  error,  and  that  a  very  large  part  of  the 
enthusiasm,  vim,  and  heartiness  with  which  the  battle  of  Nashville 
was  fought  was  due  to  the  fact  that  in  the  current  words  of  the  men 
in  the  ranks,  '  This  is  old  Pop's  fight,  and  we  are  going  to  win  it  for 

him.'  " 

As  a  friend  of  Rosecrans,  the  writer  asked  Thomas  if  he  blamed 
Eosecraus  for  what  occurred  at  Chickamauga.  "  No  farther  than 
this,"  was  the  reply ;  "  Rosecrans,  after  getting  Chattanooga,  should 
have  acted  as  I  did— he  should  have  paid  uo  attention  to  Halleck  or 
Stanton,  or  the  pressure  from  Washington.  The  '  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland' had  done  a  good  nine  months'  work  in  driving  the  Rebels  out 
of  Tennessee,  and  getting  a  foot-hold  south  of  the  river.  Rosecrans 
should  have  waited  to  get  another  '  good  ready '  before  he  pushed 
foi-ward  again.  I  would  have  asked  to  be  relieved  sooner  than  act  on 
compulsio°n  contrary  to  my  judgment.  When  a  general  command- 
ing an  army  is  ordered  to  do  what  he  feels  that  he  ought  not  to  do, 
he  should  act  upon  his  own  opinions,  and  let  things  take  their  coui-se. 
Rosecrans  was  only  blameable  for  his  blind  obedience  to  orders 
.which  I  knew  to  be  wrong."  Thus  Thomas,  it  seemed,  held  to 
Bayard's  doctrine:   "Do  what  you  yourself  think  right,  let  happen 

what  may." 

571 


GEORGE     H.    THOMAS. 

This  led  to  the  obsei-vation,  "  General  Thomas,  it  is  said  that  you 
disobeyed  at  Chattanooga  (liice  Soult  in  regard  to  attacking  the 
Heights  of  the  Pratzen  at  Austerlitz,  exactly  a  similar  case  to  Chat- 
tanooga), because  you  knew  the  time  had  not  come.  Did  you  say 
that  the  battle  turned  out  about  as  well  as  if  it  had  been  fought  as  it 
was  planned  ?  " 

Thomas  smiled,  then  answered  to  the  effect  that  the  orders  for 
his  attack  on  the  Confederate  centre,  in  his  opinion,  were  premature; 
and  that  he  believed  his  delay  was  not  only  justifiable  but  altogether 
correct,  and  "  that  was  the  reason  that  I  expressed  myself  as  I  did  in 
my  report"  * 

The  writer  does  not  pretend  to  give  the  very  ^^'brds  of  Thomas 
during  this  conversation,  but  believes  what  is  now  presented  is  the 
exact  force  and  purport  of  them. 

Thomas  was  almost  without  an  imitator,  if  not  absolutely  alone 
in  his  mode  of  living  in  the  army.  Elegance,  simplicity,  anil  solid 
comfort,  characterized  everything  about  him.  His  chief  attendant 
— a  respectable  contraband — absolutely  idolized  his  master,  as  he 
had  good  reason  to  do,  for  Thomas  had  ordered  one  of  his  officers  in 
command  of  a  cavalry  raid,  to  rescue  Peter's  wife  and  family  from 
worse  than  Egyptian  bondage.  This  was  successfully  accomplished, 
and  the  faithful  negro  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing,  while  he  was 
repaying  his  benefactor  with  vigilant  fidelity,  those  dear  to  him  were 
in  safety  on  the  soil  of  freedom.  His  other  servants,  never  changed, 
appeared  to  have  become  imbued  with  the  undeviating  deportment, 
decorum,  and  habits  of  the  master.  Nay,  his  very  horses  seemed  to 
resemble  each  other,  and  were  noble,  powerful,  and  sedate  animals, 
becoming  their  rider.  Shanks,  in  his  "  Personal  Recollections,"  enters 
into  quite  a  detailed  description  of  the  habits  of  Thomas.  Speaking 
of  breakfast,  he  says :  "  Daylight  and  breakfast  were  announced  sim- 
ultaneously by  an  elderly,  dignified,  and  cleanly  attired  colored  ser- 
vant *  *  *  The  breakfast-table  was  spread  under  the  fly-leaf 
of  the  tent,  which  served  as  a  kitchen,  and  on  it  smoked  fresh  beef, 
ham,  and  strong  black  coffee.     At  each  silver  plate  was  a  napkin  of 

•  It  will  be  perceived  by  the  above  report,  that  the  original  plan  of  operatious 

■was  somewhat  modified,  to  meet  and  take  the  best  advantage  of  emergencies,  which 

necessitated  material  modifications  of  that  plan.     It  is  believed,  however,  that  the 

original  plan,  had  it  been  carried  out,  conld  not  possibly  have  led  to  more  success- 

lul  results."  —  Conduct    of  the   War.     SuppUmmt,    Pari  I.     Report  of  Major-General 

Thomas,  page  137 

572 


GEORGE     H.    THOMAS. 


the  purest  white,  artistically  folded  in  the  latest  style  of  the  first-class 
hotels,  a  silver  water-goblet,  a  china  cup,  and  the  usual  knives  and 
the  silver  forks.  Better  beef  and  better  coffee  could  not  have  been 
found  in  the  country  in  which  the  army  was  campaigning,  while  the 
hot  rolls  and  potatoes,  baked  in  the  hot  ashes  of  a  neighboring  fire, 
would  have  made  many  a  French  cook  blush. 

"When  beginning  the  campaign  of  Atlanta,  Sherman  endeavored 
to  effect  an  important  innovation  in  the  habits  of  his  army  by  carry- 
ing out  to  the  very  letter  his  instructions  to  '  move  light,'  i.  e.,  without 
extra  baggage.  In  order  to  impress  upon  his  officers  the  necessity  of 
setting  a  good  example  to  the  men,  he  published  an  order,  in  which 
he  stated  that  the  'general  commanding  intended  making  the  cam- 
paign without  tent  or  baggage.'  The  hint  was  lost  on  most  of  the 
officers,  and  among  others  on  Thomas,  who  moved  in  his  usual  heavy 
style,  with  a  complete  headquarter  train  and  the  usual  number  of 
tents,  adding  indeed  to  the  usual  allowance  a  large  wagon  arranged 
with  desks,  which,  when  covered  by  a  hospital  tent  fly,  made  a  very 
complete  adjutant-general's  office. 

"  The  campaign  began,  and  Shennan  made  several  days'  march 
without  his  tent,  sleeping  anywhere  that  night  overtook  him ;  but 
before  reaching  Resaca  he  was  very  glad  to  take  up  his  abode  near 
Thomas'  headquarters,  and  make  use  of  his  tents  and  adjutant-general's 
office." 

The  world,  as  a  rule,  judging  great  men  through  their  little  judg- 
ments, and  almost  invariably  accepting  gilding  for  gold,  may  con- 
found the  honest  convictions  based  on  deep  thouglit,  long  experience, 
actual  supervision,  and  solid  judgment,  for  the  utterances  of  men  in 
very  high  places,  who,  puffed  up  with  their  success,  utter  oracular 
decisives  which  are  often  sheer  talk  without  thought  No  one  who 
knew  Thomas  will  question  his  modesty ;  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
no  one  who  knew  Thomas  could  question  that  he  had  fixed  opinions, 
and  expressed  them  freely.  His  modesty  consisted  in  his  manner, 
his  language,  his  under-estimate  of  his  own  services  and  his  over- 
estimate of  the  services  of  others,  where  the  pretensions  founded  upon 
them  were  not  run  into  the  ground. 

"  General  Thomas  is  the  purest  man  I  (Shajik.s)  met  in  the  army. 
He  was  the  Bayard  of  our  army— sa7is  peur,  sam  reproche — and  I  have 
endeavored  in  vain  to  find  a  flaw  in  his  character.  His  character  is 
tree  from  eveiy  stain,  and  he  stands  forth  in  the  army  as  above  sus- 
picion.    He  has  gone  through  the  war  without  apparently  exciting 

B73 


GEORGE     H.    THOMAS. 

the  jealousy  of  a  single  officer.  He  has  so  regulated  his  advance- 
ment— so  retarded,  in  fact,  his  promotion — that  when,  as  the  climax  to 
two  years'  hard  service,  he  fought  a  great  battle  and  saved  a  great 
army,  and  was  hailed  and  recognized  by  the  whole  country  as  a  hero, 
not  one  jealous  or  defeated  officer  was  found  to  utter  dissent  to  this 
popular  verdict." 

As  the  best  exemplification  of  the  idea  which  the  writer  is 
endeavoring  to  convey,  the  reader's  attention  is  directed  to  the  two 
following  letters,  from  men  as  highly  distinguished  in  their  several 
ways  as  any  in  the  country.  As  a  scientific  as  well  as  a  fighting 
soldier,  no  one  stands  higher  than  "  pure  gold "  Major-General 
Humphreys,  chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  nor  is  any  one  more  es- 
teemed ;  and,  as  a  calm,  judicious,  dignified,  and  honest  civil  official, 
than  L.  F.  S.  Foster,  Senator  from  Connecticut,  and,  for  two  years, 
acting  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  during  the  Presidency 
of  Andrew  Johnson.  The  incident  could  be  told  in  fewer  words, 
but  to  the  majority  of  minds  the  original  language  carries  with  it 
ten  times  greater  force  than  a  narrative  which  might  appear  to  be 
too  highly  colored  through  partiality  for  the  character  or  affection 
for  the  man. 

Wabhinqton,  May  30,  1874. 

My  dear  General: 

I  have  not  been  able  to  write  you  until  now,  and  threw  aside  even  to-day  matters 
pressing  on  me,  to  write  you  even  briefly,  lor  my  mind  is  full  of  other  subjects.  It 
was  I  that  mentioned  to  you  Thomas'  addiess,  or  account  of  his  Nashville  campaign. 
There  was  formeriy  a  small  club  in  Washington  that  met  at  each  other's  houses, 
taking  them  in  succession,  for  conversation  upon  and  discussion  of  scientific  subjects. 
The  evening  was  closed  by  an  inexpensive  supper.  It  was  usual  for  a  member  to 
invite  any  stranger  in  Washington  who  might  be  supposed  to  take  an  interest  in  such 
matters  Finally,  it  became  the  custom  for  the  member  at  whose  house  the  meeting 
took  place,  to  give  an  account  of  anything  that  he  thought  interesting,  or  have  some 

friend  do  so.  ^  ,    ^  a  i. 

One  evening  when  the  club  met  at  General  Eaton's  (Commissary-General  of  Sub- 
sistence), General  Thomas  was  present,  and  gave  us  an  account  of  his  Nashville 
campaign,  Ulustrated  by  maps.  There  were  only  about  fifteen  persons  present. 
The  exceeding  modesty  and  diffidence  of  General  Thomas  in  this  narrative,  made  a 
very  strong  impression  on  me.  He  reminded  me  of  a  diffident  youth  at  West  Pomt 
undergoing  the  yearly  examination,  whose  suffering  on  such  occasions  only  those 
afflicted  with  diffidence  can  comprehend  and  remember,  which  they  do  to  the  last 
clays  of  their  lives.  The  perspiration  gathered  profusely  on  his  forehead.  This 
painful  diffidence  in  a  man  who  had  had  such  experiences  greatly  siuprised  me,  and 
its  simpUcity  almost  amused  me.  Occupied  as  I  had  been  all  through  the  war  with 
what  was  takmg  place  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  I  knew  but  little  of  the  manner 
in  which  the  operations  of  other  armies  had  taken  place.     General  Thomas'  account 

574 


GEORGE     H.     THOMAS. 

gave  me  a  diflFerent  view  of  his  operations  and  the  battle  of  Nashville,  from  what  I 
had  previously  had,  and  corrected  eome  erroneous  impressions.  He  seemed  to  me 
Just  as  simple-hearted  as  when  I  had  met  him  in  Florida  at  the  time  he  joined  his 
regiment,  coming  fresh  from  the  Military  Academy. 

Sincerely  yours, 

A.    A.    HuMPHBETg. 

M^or-General  de  Petsteb,  N.  Y. 


NoBwicH,  Conn.,  May  30th,  1874. 

My  dear  General  de  Petstee  : 

In  answer  to  your  favor  of  23d,  I  would  state  that  I  recall  very  readily  the  account 
which  Gen.  Geo.  H.  Thomas  gave  one  evening  before  a  scientidc  club  in  Washington 
of  the  battle  of  Nashville.  He  had  drawn  plans  showing  the  position  of  the  opposing 
forces,  and  he  pointed  out  the  order  of  attacks  as  made  in  the  different  points  along 
the  line,  and  stated  the  result  of  the  several  movements.  Substantial  success  was 
attained  by  the  Union  forces  at  every  point,  the  enemy  was  beaten  back,  and  the 
close  of  the  first  day  indic^ited  strongly  what  became  complete  on  the  day  following 
— his  thorough  defeat. 

I  scarcely  need  say  that  we  all  listened  to  General  Thomas  with  rapt  attention 
and  with  great  gratification.  His  plans  and  statements  were  so  clear  and  explicit 
thati  think  every  one  present  must  have  obtained  a  good  idea  of  the  plan  of  the 
battle  and  of  the  manner  in  which  it  was  fought.  What  struck  me  very  forcibly, 
and  I  presume  others  present  were  impressed  in  the  same  manner,  was  the  appa- 
rent forgetfulness  of  himself  in  connection  with  the  events  he  was  describing. 
Had  we  not  known  that  he  was  the  commanding  general,  and  that  every  move- 
ment was  the  result  of  the  action  of  his  mind  and  will,  we  should  never  have  imagined 
it  from  any  allusion  he  made  to  himself.  But  when  he  came  to  pronounce  an  opinion 
upon  the  whole  subject,  and  to  point  out,  as  he  did,  what  he  called  a  grave  error 
of  judgment,  he  made  himself  prominent  at  once,  and  threw  the  blame  entirely  on 
himself. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  day,  he  says  he  ought  to  have  detached  a  force  and  sent 
it  round  to  the  rear  of  the  enemy,  and  cut  off  his  retreat.  Had  he  done  so,  he  would 
have  captured  nearly  or  quite  the  whole  of  Hood's  army.  As  it  was.  Hood  was 
enabled  to  effect  his  retreat.  I  asked  him  if  he  was  not  pronouncing  a  rigorous  and 
nnjust  judgment,  and  suggested  that  at  the  close  of  the  first  day  it  was  impossible 
for  him  to  decide  whether  Hood's  forces  were  thoroughly  demoralized  and  defeated 
or  not.  That  if  he  had  detached  a  force  of  sufficient  strength  to  the  enemy's  rear  to 
cut  off  his  retreat,  whether  it  would  not  have  so  weakened  his  attacking  columns  the 
second  day  that  they  would  have  fought  with  less  confidence  of  victory;  and  whether, 
if  Hood's  men  had  knomi  that  their  retreat  was  cut  off,  it  might  not  have  given  them 
the  energy  of  despair,  and  impelled  them  to  fight  so  as  to  turn  back  the  tide  of  vic- 
tory. He  did  not  yield  at  all  to  my  suggestions  :  he  said  that  a  general  must  be  pre- 
pared to  take  some  risks,  and  that  Hood's  army  ought  all  to  have  been  captured. 
The  entire  absence  of  all  self-assertion  on  the  part  of  General  Thomas— his  unaffected 
modesty-were  most  conspicuous  the  whole  evening.  It  seemed  to  me  that  had  any 
other  officer  but  himself  1)een  in  command,  he  would  never  have  indulged  in  go 
severe  a  criticism  of  his  conduct. 

Believe  me,  veiy  truly  yours, 

L.    F.    S.    FOSTEB. 

575 


GEORGK     H.     THOMAS. 

In  conclusion,  no  more  is  needed  than  to  quote  a  few  lines  con- 
tributed by  a  lady,  the  wife  of  the  Medical  Director  on  the  staff  of 
Thomas— Mrs.  Col.  F.  M.  Gross.  They  possess  one  merit— Truth  ; 
and  they  speak  the  opinion  of  the  best  minds  of  the  nation : — 

Ho-w  seldom,  in  the  lapse  of  ceuturies, 
There  lives  a  mau  so  great,  that  wheu  he  dies, 
His  record  is  beyoud  all  eulogies  ! 

Yet  one  sucli  has  been  with  us—simple,  grave, 
Upright  and  noble,  resolute  and  brave, 
To  God  and  duty  he  his  manhood  gave. 

Of  such  rare  excellence,  that  when  he  died — 
Died  in  his  prime—a  startled  nation  cried, 
"This  is  a  loss  that  cannot  be  supplied." 

He  should  have  been  our  next  chief  magistrate  : 
He  would  have  dignified  that  high  estate. 
And  by  his  greatness  made  his  country  great. 

When  shall  we  find  us  such  another  man. 
So  sure  in  action  and  so  ripe  in  plan, 
So  able  every  moment's  need  to  span  ? 

In  all  the  after  annals  of  this  age. 

Shall  patriot  and  statesman,  bard  and  sage, 

Point  out  as  his  the  one  consummate  page. 

And  through  the  coming  years  shall  history 
Echo  regretfully  tUe  people's  cry, 
"The  loss  of  Thomas  no  man  could  supply!" 

This  biographical  sketch  could  have  been  much  more  extended 
bv  the  presentation  of  opinions  and  explanations  expressed  and  made 
by  General  Thomas  to  the  writer,  but  these  are  withheld  at  the  ex- 
press request  of  one  who  has  the  best  right  to  decide  as  to  their  pub- 
lication, and  upon  the  advice  of  a  general  ofacer,  whose  calm  judg 
ment  almost  converts  his  counsels  into  commands. 

576 


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